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Mapping Pervious Surfaces and Canopy Cover Using High-Resolution Airborne Imagery and Digital Elevation Models to Support Urban Planning

Author

Listed:
  • Anna Codemo

    (Department of Civil Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38123 Trento, Italy)

  • Angelica Pianegonda

    (Department of Civil Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38123 Trento, Italy)

  • Marco Ciolli

    (Department of Civil Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38123 Trento, Italy)

  • Sara Favargiotti

    (Department of Civil Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38123 Trento, Italy)

  • Rossano Albatici

    (Department of Civil Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38123 Trento, Italy)

Abstract

Urban green infrastructure (UGI) has a key role in improving human and environmental health in cities and contributes to several services related to climate adaptation. Accurate localization and quantification of pervious surfaces and canopy cover are envisaged to implement UGI, address sustainable spatial planning, and include adaptation and mitigation strategies in urban planning practices. This study aims to propose a simple and replicable process to map pervious surfaces and canopy cover and to investigate the reliability and the potential planning uses of UGI maps. The proposed method combines the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), extracted from high-resolution airborne imagery (0.20 m), with digital elevation models to map pervious surfaces and canopy cover. The approach is tested in the Municipality of Trento, Italy, and, according to a random sampling validation, has an accuracy exceeding 80%. The paper provides a detailed map of green spaces in the urban areas, describing quantity and distribution, and proposes a synthesis map expressed as a block-level degree of pervious surfaces and canopy cover to drive urban transformations. The proposed approach constitutes a useful tool to geovisualize critical areas and to compare levels of pervious surfaces and canopy cover in the municipal area. Acknowledging the role of green areas in the urban environment, the paper examines the potential applications of the maps in the policy cycle, such as land use management and monitoring, and in climate-related practices, and discusses their integration into the current planning tools to shift towards performative rather than prescriptive planning.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Codemo & Angelica Pianegonda & Marco Ciolli & Sara Favargiotti & Rossano Albatici, 2022. "Mapping Pervious Surfaces and Canopy Cover Using High-Resolution Airborne Imagery and Digital Elevation Models to Support Urban Planning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-21, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:10:p:6149-:d:818608
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Zardo, L. & Geneletti, D. & Pérez-Soba, M. & Van Eupen, M., 2017. "Estimating the cooling capacity of green infrastructures to support urban planning," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 26(PA), pages 225-235.
    2. Francesca Peroni & Guglielmo Pristeri & Daniele Codato & Salvatore Eugenio Pappalardo & Massimo De Marchi, 2019. "Biotope Area Factor: An Ecological Urban Index to Geovisualize Soil Sealing in Padua, Italy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.
    3. Zhenfeng Shao & Lin Ding & Deren Li & Orhan Altan & Md. Enamul Huq & Congmin Li, 2020. "Exploring the Relationship between Urbanization and Ecological Environment Using Remote Sensing Images and Statistical Data: A Case Study in the Yangtze River Delta, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-28, July.
    4. Anastasia Nikologianni & Alessandro Betta & Angelica Pianegonda & Sara Favargiotti & Kathryn Moore & Nick Grayson & Elisa Morganti & Martin Berg & Anna Ternell & Marco Ciolli & Michela Angeli & Anders, 2020. "New Integrated Approaches to Climate Emergency Landscape Strategies: The Case of Pan-European SATURN Project," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-11, October.
    5. Guglielmo Pristeri & Francesca Peroni & Salvatore Eugenio Pappalardo & Daniele Codato & Anna Giulia Castaldo & Antonio Masi & Massimo De Marchi, 2020. "Mapping and Assessing Soil Sealing in Padua Municipality through Biotope Area Factor Index," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-21, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Mara Ottoboni & Salvatore Eugenio Pappalardo & Massimo De Marchi & Fabrizio Ungaro, 2023. "Characterization and Mapping of Public and Private Green Areas in the Municipality of Forlì (NE Italy) Using High-Resolution Images," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-18, March.
    2. Constantinos A. Balaras & Andreas I. Theodoropoulos & Elena G. Dascalaki, 2023. "Geographic Information Systems for Facilitating Audits of the Urban Built Environment," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-26, May.

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