An Assessment of Green Space in Chinese Cities Using ASTER Data

Principal Investigator:
Fung, Tung

Co-investigator(s):
Wang Jinfei
Shi Penijun
Chen Yunhao

Summary:
Green space is an important component for quality of life in cities. It provides recreational space, improves public health, enhances esthetic values, helps promote the image of a city and benefits the urban economy ultimately. Chinese cities have undergone a rapid pace of development. Increasing concern over the quality of life and keen competition among cities in attracting investment have called upon planning for better preservation and expansion of green space in cities. This study attempts to make use of ASTER and other satellite data to map out green space with object-oriented image analysis techniques. Landscape metric analysis will be used to assess the landscape composition, diversity, connectivity and fragmentation of green space. A decision support system will be devised to assess the landscape ecology of green space in selected Chinese cities. The results will be beneficial to landscape planning and quality of life among cities in China.