The course covers the principal concepts and applications of remote sensing for urban analyses. The course will have a lecture/projects format and lab (ENVI) exercises.  

Objectives:

1. To learn the state-of-the-art approaches to deriving environmental variables from remotely sensed data. Understanding of spectral signatures of urban objects with samples throughout the electromagnetic spectrum.

2. Thermal remote sensing of urban areas. Urban heat islands. Thermal Inertia.

3. Defining the advantages and needs for orbit selection according to acquired ground resolution, spectral characteristics and temporal changes.

4. Monitoring of the urban air quality from space imagery.

5. Demonstration of capability to interpret remote sensing data in order to understand the processing and enhancement of satellite images for identifying urban change and to recognize urban morphology from space.

Assessment

1. Imagery analysis and image data processing assignments.
2. Written responses on tests and assignments.
3. Mid-term exam.

4. A culminating project presented in class.
5. Participation in class discussions.

Discussion

Once in three weeks there will be discussion session that will serve as question and answer periods and for technical assistance. Each discussion session will allow students the opportunity assisting other students, and showing progress in both reading assignments and laboratory exercises.

Text(s) and Readings:

Jensen, John R., 2006, Remote Sensing of the Environment: An Earth Resource Perspective (2nd edition), Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, 608 pages.

Jensen, J.R. 2002. Introductory digital image processing: A remote sensing perspective. Prentice Hall Series in Geographic Information Science, Prentice-Hall, Inc. 316pp.