Abstract

Globally, estimates indicate that more than 1 billion people are living in slums, and that this number is rising. Yet, these estimates are not spatial, and also highly uncertain, which hampers actions to transform slums.

This talk will explore how spatial analysis, based on building footprints, satellite imagery, and other geospatial data, provides an opportunity for mapping slums at a building level and a continental scale. Subsequently Professor van Vliet will also explore how these data can be used to provide better estimates of the number of people living in slums. The research focuses on sub-Saharan Africa, the region with the highest prevalence of slums, globally.

About Professor Jasper van Vliet

Jasper van Vliet is an Associate Professor in Land Use and Urban Development. The main aim of his research is to better understand land use change and urban development processes at scales ranging from local to global, as well as their social and environmental impacts. Methodologically, his work builds on a range of methodological approaches, including case studies, systematic reviews, spatial analysis, and land use modelling.

Jasper is program director of the Bachelor in Earth, Economics, and Sustainability, and teaches courses on GIS, Land use change, and Urban development. He regularly supervises related thesis projects at all levels.

About the PIXEL Seminar Series

Satellite imagery offers unprecedented opportunities to better understand human activity and its impact upon the environment. People, Insights, and eXploration in Earth observation and Learning (PIXEL) is a forum for researchers to showcase their work that satellite imagery and related approaches.

Hosted by Imago, the PIXEL Seminar Series fosters a global Community of Practice through monthly technical and applied seminars that demystify satellite data for research and policy. These seminars aim to make satellite imagery more useful, usable, and used across social research, public health, and policy by demystifying methods, tools, and use cases.

Events

PIXEL Seminar Series | Building-level mapping of slums and slum populations

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