Our Changing World: Satellite Images for Monitoring Urban Development (Part 3)
Satellite images for monitoring urban and land development can be used to gather strategic planning information pertaining to a district or an entire city. High resolution satellite imagery incorporated into a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) has gained popularity among Planners, Developers and Engineers for large scale mapping of any region for most urban and land development applications.
Landsat (15m) Satellite Image of San Antonio, Texas
June 16, 1991
(Image Credit: NASA/USGS/Courtesy of Satellite Imaging Corporation)
Landsat (15m) Satellite Image of San Antonio, Texas
June 4, 2010
(Image Credit: NASA/USGS/Courtesy of Satellite Imaging Corporation)
Satellite images above of San Antonio, Texas a city that has grown to be the 7th largest city in the nation, with a current population of approximately 1.4 million. In 1991 when the June 16 image was acquired, the population was approximately 790,000. In the past 20 years it has been the 4th fastest growing city in the United States.
Unlike most large cities in the United States, San Antonio is not completely surrounded by independent suburban cities, and under Texas law it exercises extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) over much of the surrounding unincorporated land, including directing growth and zoning. It pursues an aggressive annexation policy and opposes the creation of other municipalities within its ETJ. The restrictions on development by independent communities have allowed the city to control growth direction and have preserved useful agricultural production areas. Another factor in the growth formula has been the series of military bases and military airfields which ring the larger community.
WorldView-2 (0.5m) Satellite Image of San Antonio, Texas
October 19, 2009
(Image Credit: DigitalGlobe/Courtesy of Satellite Imaging Corporation)
