Saini, V., and Tiwari, R.K. (2019). Remote sensing-based time-series analysis for monitoring urban sprawl: A case study of Chandigarh capital region. Journal of Geomatics, 13(1): 94-97.

Urban growth is a global phenomenon, which is happening at unprecedented rates. According to the United Nations, the current world population of 7.6 billion is expected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030 out of which 5 billion will be urban population. Much of this urbanization will unfold in Africa and Asia, bringing huge social, economic and environmental transformations. The main reasons for urban growth are an unorganized expansion, increased immigration, and population explosion. In this context, changes in land cover are considered one of the central components for managing natural resources and monitoring environmental impacts. In the present study, a supervised classification applied to a time-series data of Landsat collected over time (1990, 2001, and 2015) gave an insight into the urban sprawl patterns in the Chandigarh capital region. The results show an increasing trend of urban sprawl in the outskirts of the city, especially in the northwestern and southern directions as a result of the development of an international airport, new sectors, and approach roads. Post-classification change detection points to the fact that maximum changes were seen in the class vegetation as it has rapidly changed to built-up/urban areas. Based on the results of such studies, the city and town planners may be able to take timely and appropriate steps to minimize the environmental implications associated with such urbanization.