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Understanding urbanization: A study of census and satellite-derived urban classes in the United States, 1990-2010

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  • Deborah Balk
  • Stefan Leyk
  • Bryan Jones
  • Mark R Montgomery
  • Anastasia Clark

Abstract

Most of future population growth will take place in the world’s cities and towns. Yet, there is no well-established, consistent way to measure either urban land or people. Even census-based urban concepts and measures undergo frequent revision, impeding rigorous comparisons over time and place. This study presents a new spatial approach to derive consistent urban proxies for the US. It compares census-designated urban blocks with proxies for land-based classifications of built-up areas derived from time-series of the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) for 1990–2010. This comparison provides a new way to understand urban structure and its changes: Most land that is more than 50% built-up, and people living on such land, are officially classified as urban. However, 30% of the census-designated urban population and land is located in less built-up areas that can be characterized as mainly suburban and peri-urban in nature. Such insights are important starting points for a new urban research program: creating globally and temporally consistent proxies to guide modelling of urban change.

Suggested Citation

  • Deborah Balk & Stefan Leyk & Bryan Jones & Mark R Montgomery & Anastasia Clark, 2018. "Understanding urbanization: A study of census and satellite-derived urban classes in the United States, 1990-2010," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 13(12), pages 1-20, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0208487
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208487
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