Point Cloud and Image Analysis for the Measurement of the Physical Form of Cities

Dear Colleagues,

In the recent years, remote sensing has become a de facto technology for documenting and modelling the physical form of cities. Remote sensing—terrestrial, aerial, and satellite—has proven to be a suitable approach to effectively collect data at a large scale. Indeed, advances in the integration of sensors in terrestrial mobile platforms, together with the increasingly lower costs of technology, have significantly improved the availability and quality of data. As a result, automated data analysis has become a hot research topic.

Despite the potential of remote sensing for accurately measuring and modelling the physical form of cities, its use has not yet been adopted by the urban morphology community. Researchers in this area have traditionally used simple, two-dimensional representations to characterize city forms. In contrast, the remote sensing approach to urban modelling relies on complex, three-dimensional models that are built from a huge amount of data. Moving from two- to three-dimensional representations requires careful considerations of the costs and benefits associated with such a transition. Complex 3D models may provide rich insights not only on city forms, but also on the process of urban landscape formation, but in order for this approach to be effective, it is of paramount importance to clearly distinguish which data are relevant and which are superfluous.

This Special Issue aims at collecting the recent advances in the use of remote sensing data for the measurement of the physical form of cities. We welcome submissions on the integration of measurement techniques with existing morphological theories, concepts, and methods. Specific topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• New remote sensing technologies for urban measurement;
• Image processing for large-scale urban modelling;
• 3D modelling of urban areas from point cloud processing;
• Spatial analysis of urban-landscape changes;
• 3D analysis of urban landscape;
• 3D space syntax;
• Urban structure analysis based on 2D and/or 3D morphology;
• Impacts of 3D morphology on the urban environment and ecology.

Dr. Lucía Díaz-Vilariño
Dr. Antonio Fernández
Dr. Vítor Oliveira
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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