A Systematic Review of the Application of Remote Sensing Techniques for Imaging Land Use Variation in Urban Environments

Urban land use has started to vary more widely over the last couple of decades to accommodate the increasing numbers of people moving into cities. The objective of this systematic review was to explore the breadth of current options available for mapping urban landscapes. This is because these landscapes are characterized by the presence of both built and vegetated spaces in compact areas where imaging is clearer when using remote sensing techniques. Using a modified PRISMA protocol, I searched through Google Scholar in December 2020 to identify studies detailing remote sensing methods for imaging vegetation in urban areas using a search string and enabling filters to define suitable parameters. I found 425 articles published in the last ten years that discussed the application of a remote sensing technique to imaging land-use variations in cities. Overall, maps developed using light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data consistently characterized vegetated areas with sufficient detail to identify changes within the environment if they happen. The main limitation of the studies shared was that most of the research has focused on describing the built environment instead of the interspersed vegetated spaces. However, by cataloging the existing remote sensing tools that are used, this analysis will be able to help inform future policies to inform urban landscape planning in a changing climate.