Sub-Meter Resolution Satellite Imagery and GIS Techniques for Improving the Conventional Urban Administrative System

Amjed S. Almas
University of the Punjab, Lahore,
Pakistan
Email: amjedmian@hotmail.com



The present research effort aims at exploiting the techniques of Geographic Information Science (GIS) for the development and integration of digital thematic layers representing a portion of a relatively planned urban regime existing at the heart of Lahore Metropolis. The emphasis has been placed upon facilitating the urban administration on planning, management and monitoring of civic amenities by providing them digital geographic information in the form of editable and revisable digital maps of location, line and area features. Sub-meter resolution, pan-sharpened satellite imagery has been used as a planimetric reference and base map for delineation of road network, sketch maps for demarcation of water-supply network and physical survey of the area for locating fuel-stations, mosques, educational institutions, health centers, police stations, banks/ ATM facilities, Markets, important buildings etc. In addition, census data has been acquired to digitize precincts of census units in order to compute the population density and analyze its relationship with reference to existing civic amenities. Conclusively, the integration of Remote Sensing and GIS techniques have been found useful in facilitating the urban administration towards better planning and management in comparison to the use of conventional methods already in practice.