Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-13T17:10:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CarmemCFA_DISSERT.pdf: 2091746 bytes, checksum: db4fb618fee6a99b59babd4be655108a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-02-21 / This paper aims at analyzing the dynamics of informal housing in M?e Luiza, in the context of real estate valuation of the city of Natal/RN, which, like any other urban center, has problems related to access to urban land, which increasingly more is appreciated due to their scarcity and, consequently, has led to the segregation of urban spaces. Recently, the informal housing market has received special attention by scholars who wish to discuss the production of space and ways of access to urban land and housing, especially for those disadvantaged by the housing policies of the government where these exist. When talking about the housing market, we are automatically referring to concepts or categories intrinsic to the existing mode of production in our society - the capitalism. Thus, the categories: income, value (use and exchange), commodity, capital, profits and capital gains, along with other important concepts as well as land use (urban) and real estate agents are of great relevance to discussion we intend to do within the context of production space / O presente trabalho tem por objetivo principal analisar a din?mica imobili?ria informal em M?e Luiza, no contexto da valoriza??o imobili?ria da cidade de Natal/RN, a qual, assim como qualquer outro centro urbano, apresenta problemas relacionados ao acesso ao solo urbano, que cada vez mais tem se valorizado devido a sua escassez e, por consequ?ncia, tem provocado a segrega??o dos espa?os urbanos. Nos ?ltimos tempos, o mercado imobili?rio informal tem recebido uma aten??o especial por parte de estudiosos que desejam discutir a produ??o do espa?o e as formas de acesso ao solo e ? moradia urbanos, em especial por aqueles desassistidos pelas pol?ticas habitacionais do governo, quando estas existem. Ao se falar em mercado imobili?rio, automaticamente estamos nos remetendo a alguns conceitos ou categorias intr?nsecas ao modo de produ??o vigente em nossa sociedade o capitalismo. Desse modo, as categorias: renda, valor (de uso e de troca), mercadoria, capital, lucro e mais-valia, juntamente com outros conceitos tamb?m importantes, como uso do solo (urbano) e agentes imobili?rios s?o de grande relev?ncia para a discuss?o que se pretende fazer dentro do contexto da produ??o do espa?o

nÃo hà / SUMMARY The objective of this work is to elaborate and to analyze the paper of the real estate capital, more precisely of the seller of urban lands, in the urbanization process happened in the Fortaleza city, among the decades of 1950 and 1970. For that reason, we chose Josà Gentil S/A Real estate, whose evidences presented along the study allows us to affirm that it was the most active company in the market of urban lands of Fortaleza, in the considered period, be for the volume of businesses or be for the symbolic power that it contains in itself. We showed a theme- the performance of the Real estate, inserted in movements that concern the growth social- economic of the city, to the exercise in the several ways of power and construction of nets that they create and reproduze the dominance relationships in the extent of a social process of such magnitude , marked by practices (clientelistas, personalistas) and centralizing that they have been giving the tonic of the political and social process in Fortaleza. Finally, founded in the instrumental theoretical that guides us, we showed in an empiric way how the succession of social- economic facts went weaving a favorable scenery the performance of a linked social group to the real estate (fundiÃrio) section, that, owners the economical capital and social prestige, acted with opportunity sense aiming at, before any other thing the wealth accumulation and power, pillars of support of the groups and local dominant classes. / O objetivo deste trabalho à elaborar e analisar o papel do capital imobiliÃrio, mais precisamente dos loteadores de terras urbanas, no processo de urbanizaÃÃo ocorrido na cidade de Fortaleza, entre as dÃcadas de 1950 e 1970. Para tanto, elegemos a ImobiliÃria Josà Gentil S/A, cujas evidÃncias apresentadas ao longo do estudo nos permite afirmar que foi a empresa mais atuante no mercado de terras urbanas de Fortaleza, no perÃodo considerado, seja pelo volume de negÃcios, seja pelo poder simbÃlico que encerra em si mesma. Mostramos um tema-a atuaÃÃo da ImobiliÃria, inserido em movimentos que dizem respeito ao crescimento socioeconÃmico da cidade, ao exercÃcio das vÃrias formas de poder e da construÃÃo de redes que criam e reproduzem as relaÃÃes de dominaÃÃo no Ãmbito de um processo social dessa magnitude, marcado por prÃticas clientelistas, personalistas e centralizadoras que tÃm dado a tÃnica do processo polÃtico e social em Fortaleza. Finalmente, fundados no instrumental teÃrico que nos orientou, mostramos de maneira empÃrica como a sucessÃo de fatos socioeconÃmicos foi tecendo um cenÃrio propÃcio a atuaÃÃo de um grupo social ligado ao setor imobiliÃrio/fundiÃrio, que, municiados pela posse de capital econÃmico e prestÃgio social, agiu com censo de oportunidade objetivando, antes de qualquer outra coisa, a acumulaÃÃo de riqueza e poder, pilares de sustentaÃÃo dos grupos e classes dominantes locais.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / O presente trabalho trata sobre o saber da prÃtica social elaborado nas lutas pela moradia em Fortaleza, no inÃcio da dÃcada de 1980 atà 1998, com foco nas estratÃgias de ocupaÃÃo planejada de terrenos. A primeira parte do estudo, composta de trÃs capÃtulos, versa sobre a trajetÃria da habitaÃÃo popular e a luta pela hegemonia na ocupaÃÃo do espaÃo urbano, a expansÃo da cidade de Fortaleza e um panorama atual da dinÃmica da Cidade, no que se refere Ãs opÃÃes de moradia para a maioria da populaÃÃo. A segunda parte, composta de dois capÃtulos, discorre acerca do saber da prÃtica social, elaborado nas lutas por moradia, enfocando, especificamente a organizaÃÃo dos movimentos de bairros em Fortaleza, e refletindo sobre a relaÃÃo entre os saberes produzidos nas experiÃncias de ocupaÃÃes planejadas, tanto na luta pelo terreno, quanto na construÃÃo das casas, e sua influÃncia na conduÃÃo do Programa MutirÃes Habitacionais. As experiÃncias estudadas localizam-se nos bairros de Messejana, Bairro Ellery, Pirambu e Dias Macedo. O estudo utilizou como fonte de informaÃÃo as narrativas de lideranÃas, atores destas ocupaÃÃes, dirigentes das entidades federativas locais no perÃodo, tÃcnicos de organizaÃÃes governamentais e nÃo-governametais, parlamentares, militantes de setores da Igreja CatÃlica, membros do Conselho Municipal de HabitaÃÃo, alÃm de documentos oficiais, acervos das entidades, dados estatÃsticos, jornais e outros estudos realizados. / This study discusses the knowledge and know-how acquired during the fight for housing in Fortaleza from 1980 to 1998 and â more specifically â in the production of strategies and the organized squatting of land for improved acess to housing. The first of the study includes theree chapters. The first retrace the story of policies for low-income housing in Brasil and of the struggle for hegemony in the occupation of urban space. The second chapter discusses the spatial grwth of Fortaleza, its contradictions and the resulting forms and means of segregation. The third describes the urban dynamics observed in the city relating to the housing conditions and opportunities of the majority of the population. The second part includes two chapters and discusses the knowledge and know-how developed during the struggle for housing and through the related social practices â especially in Fortalezaâs community organizations. These chapters examine the relationship between the knowledge produced during experiences in planned squatting â from the fight for land to the construction of the houses â and the changes in the mutirÃo1 programs and their management. Case studies from Fortalezaâs neighborhoods of Messejana, Bairro Ellery, Pirambu and Dias MacÃdo are presented. The principal sources of data and information were the oral testimonials of community leaders, suatters, coordinators os federations of neighborhood associations, technical staff os government bodies, NGO representatives, members of parliament, activists of progressive segments of the Catholic Church and members of the Joint Council for Housing. This information was cross-checked against official documents and statistics of the State of Cearà and the City of Fortaleza, data from community organizations, new clippings and academic studies on the topic.

Está em curso no Senado Federal a revisão da primeira lei de âmbito nacional sobre o parcelamento do solo urbano no Brasil, aprovada em 1979. As discussões desta revisão bem como as suas repercussões na formulação de leis municipais remetem à necessidade de compreensão da construção deste instrumento urbanístico como realidade histórica. Este trabalho reconstrói o processo de formulação de uma legislação federal de regulação do loteamento no Brasil até a aprovação da Lei nº 6.766, conhecida como Lei Lehman. Parte-se da hipótese que a lei aprovada em 1979 foi gestada e construída historicamente durante as quatro décadas que a precederam. Por meio do levantamento bibliográfico, documental e entrevistas, este estudo evidencia quais as temáticas abordadas na Lei Federal nº 6.766/79 já estavam presentes nas discussões e nas propostas de lei sobre loteamento entre o início do século XX até 1979. A pesquisa foi estruturada em cinco eixos de análise, desenvolvidos concomitantemente. Um eixo procurou detectar a competência dos entes federativos em legislar sobre o loteamento, a partir da legislação vigente. O segundo eixo buscou consolidar as discussões sobre a normatização de loteamentos por meio de publicações e eventos, do campo do planejamento urbano, que trataram este tema. O terceiro eixo partiu da cronologia das leis aprovadas e projetos de lei formulados sobre loteamento urbano até a aprovação da Lei Lehman. Um quarto eixo analisou o processo de aprovação desta lei na Câmara e no Senado Federal. Por fim, o último eixo se debruçou na análise de como os aspectos de caráter civil, administrativo, registrário, penal e urbanístico foram sendo incorporados nos debates e nas propostas de uma lei federal de loteamento. Este estudo pretende contribuir para a complementação e o aprofundamento dos trabalhos que tratam da regulação do parcelamento do solo no Brasil e para o debate atual da revisão da Lei Federal nº 6.766. / In the Federal Senate there is in progress the review of the first nationwide law on the division of Brazil\'s urban land, adopted in 1979. The discussions of this review and its formulation impacts of municipal laws remit in understanding the construction of this urban instrument as a historical reality. This paper reconstructs the formulation process of a federal legislation of the allotment regulation in Brazil until the approval of 6766 Law, known as Lehman Law. It starts with the assumption that the law approved in 1979 was historically and management constructed during the four decades that preceded it. Through biographical, documentary and interviews survey, this study shows which subjects broached on Federal Law 6766/79 were already present in the law discussions and proposals about land division between the early twentieth century to 1979. The research was structured in five axes of analysis, developed concurrently. The first axis aimed at detecting the competence of federal sectors in allotment legislation, through the current law. The second axis tried to consolidate the discussions about the allotment land normalization by publications and events of urban planning field that had dealt this issue. The third axis came from the chronology of the laws approved and projected laws on urban land division until the approval of Lehman Law. A fourth axis examined the approval process of this law in the Congress and Federal Senate. Finally, the last axis has focused on the analysis of how the aspects of civil, administrative, registration, penal and urbanistic character were being incorporated in the debates and proposals of a federal allotment act. This study intends to contribute to the works` deep examination and complementing that treat of the land division regulation in Brazil and the current debate of the Federal Law nº. 6.766.

Orientador: Evandro Ziggiatti Monteiro / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-26T02:06:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Freire_RodrigoArgenton_M.pdf: 29226603 bytes, checksum: ac62b4b0b434410de07161e36ee4d9be (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: O processo de desenvolvimento urbano compacto é associado à sustentabilidade e tem como aspectos principais o uso eficiente do solo e a vitalidade urbana em diferentes períodos do dia. Essas características relacionam-se a duas dimensões: densidade e diversidade. No entanto, existe uma tendência de dispersão e fragmentação do tecido urbano evidenciada nas cidades latino-americanas. Essa evidência é, no entanto, geral, e portanto deve-se compreender como os diferentes níveis de compacidade existem no território e como se traduzem em termos de forma urbana. Parte-se do pressuposto que diferentes áreas apresentam diferentes níveis de densidade e formas de ocupação do solo. O objetivo da pesquisa é relacionar as dimensões de compacidade e forma urbana de três municípios que compõem a Região Metropolitana de Campinas (Hortolândia, Valinhos e Campinas). A pesquisa, de caráter exploratório, é estruturada por meio do estudo de caso dos três municípios. A caracterização é realizada por meio da identificação dos níveis de densidade e diversidade dos setores censitários, utilizados pelo Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), e consequente agrupamento desses para composição de recortes espaciais. Em seguida, é proposta a leitura morfológica de cada recorte buscando-se associar os níveis de densidade e diversidade com os aspectos morfológicos. Os resultados encontrados permitem identificar que não existe uma relação direta entre os níveis de densidade e diversidade, mas permitem o estabelecimento de relações entre ambas as dimensões e os aspectos morfológicos, sendo que a forma urbana acaba por representar alto grau significância na caracterização dos níveis de compacidade e impacta, diretamente, na sustentabilidade urbana / Abstract: Compact urban development is constantly associated to sustainability and has as main characteristics, land use efficiency and urban vitality in different periods of the day. Both aspects are related to two dimensions: density and diversity. Meanwhile, there is a tendency for urban dispersion and fragmentation that can be noticed on Latin American cities. This evidence is, indeed general. It is necessary that the different levels of compactness are understood in an intra-urban context, i.e., how they are distributed within a metropolitan region and what it means in morphological terms. We depart from the assumption that different areas will present different aspects of density and diversity. Therefore, the aim to the research is to relate both compactness dimensions: density and diversity, the urban form from three cities of Campinas Metropolitan Region (RMC) ¿ Brazil, (Hortolândia, Valinhos e Campinas). The characterization is realized by identifying the levels of density in the census tract used by the Brazilian census bureau (IBGE), and consequently grouping of those areas in order to determine spatial areas of analysis. Afterwards, these intraurban areas are read in terms of its morphological aspects. The results show that there is not direct relation between the levels of density and diversity within the cities. However, urban form seems to be closely related to both dimensions, as they present specific characteristics depending on the level of compactness. In addition to that, both dimensions are closely related to urban sustainability / Mestrado / Arquitetura, Tecnologia e Cidade / Mestre em Arquitetura, Tecnologia e Cidade

The present dissertation is an analysis in its spatial and temporal scales and the roles of urban land use in the small town of São Sepé in which dynamic is related to the agricultural sector in which the city is part. Therefore, there are many roles in the economic sector, specifically associated to the cooperative named COTRISEL. The reality of this town is expressed by economic flows from the business generated by the cooperative in the region. In this context, this town of Portuguese colonization, the concession the Sesmarias (large land properties), for many centuries it was dominated by elites, owners of land, defending their interests. The economy of São Sepé focuses on the agricultural sector, with trading and services depending on this sector. It is also the agribusiness benefit from the primary production, adding that production value. It was also analyzed, the capital, the urban equipment and infrastructure in order to verify how this type of economy was able to generate jobs, equipment or even urban infrastructure to conduct activities. / O presente estudo analisa em suas escalas espaciais e temporais os papéis e o uso do solo urbano da pequena cidade de São Sepé cujas dinâmicas atrelam-se ao setor agropecuário no qual a cidade está envolvida. Para isso destacam-se os papéis econômicos desse setor, ligado especificamente a cooperativa COTRISEL. A realidade dessa cidade se expressa pelos fluxos econômicos provenientes dos negócios gerados pela cooperativa na região. Nesse contexto, a cidade fruto da colonização portuguesa, da concessão de sesmarias, foi dominada durante muitos séculos pelas elites, donas de terras, defendendo seus interesses. A economia de São Sepé está centrada no setor agrícola, com o comércio e serviços dependendo deste setor. Destaca-se ainda o agronegócio beneficiando parte da produção primária, agregando valor aquela produção. Ainda foram analisados, o capital social, os equipamentos urbanos e a infra-estrutura como forma de averiguar o quanto aquele tipo de economia foi capaz de gerar empregos, equipamentos ou mesmo infra-estrutura urbana para a realização de suas atividades.

Submitted by Biblioteca Central (biblioteca@unicap.br) on 2017-10-05T18:27:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 albert_august_walter_van_drunen.pdf: 4227149 bytes, checksum: 0eb6076b3c70045f41efb15018c3bc06 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-05T18:27:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 albert_august_walter_van_drunen.pdf: 4227149 bytes, checksum: 0eb6076b3c70045f41efb15018c3bc06 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-27 / Brazil has adopted a severe fiscal austerity regime as a means of combating the economic crisis through Constitutional Amendment No. 95/2016. In order to provide other solutions to deal with the crisis, especially in the Municipalities, since they are not covered by this constitutional amendment and also feel the effects of this serious crisis, the form of graduation of the ability to pay was analyzed, through of tax progressivity, in the IMI, considering only the urban buildings, one of the instruments used by this country in facing the crisis in 2016, after a disastrous experiment with an austerity regime in the period of 2011 to 2015, in addition to the verification of the possibility of applying this form of graduation of the ability to pay in the Tax on Urban Property and Land - IPTU of the Municipality of Recife / PE. The analysis was carried out with the use of bibliographical and documentary research, as well as the analysis of data provided by the Real Estate Registry of the Tax Unit of the Finance Department of the Municipality of Recife referring to the IPTU venous amounts and the Inter vivos Onerous Transmission Tax - ITBI, in the year 2015, a descriptive and explanatory analysis of all the material, as a way of verifying, starting from the question "would cause offense to the CRFB/88 the application of the form of graduation of the ability to pay, through the fiscal progressivity, carried out in IMI, in Portugal, in the IPTU of the Municipality of Recife / PE? ", the hypothesis that this form of graduation could be applied to the IPTU of the Municipality of Recife / PE. At the end of the analysis, this hypothesis was confirmed, and it was verified that more objectivity could be given in determining the IPTU calculation base, since the current way of establishing the tax base of this tax generates many difficulties for the taxpayer to understand the launch of the tax, in addition to presenting the inadequacy of the form of graduation of the ability to pay, through fiscal progressivity, performed by the Municipality of Recife / PE, considering the data of 2015. Finally, examples of how to improve the graduation of the ability to pay through fiscal progressivity in the Municipality. / O Brasil adotou como forma de combate à crise econômica um severo regime de austeridade fiscal através da Emenda Constitucional nº 95/2016. Com o intuito de fornecer outras soluções para o enfrentamento da crise, principalmente, nos Municípios, uma vez que não são abrangidos por aquela emenda constitucional e também sentem os efeitos dessa grave crise, analisou-se a forma de graduação da capacidade contributiva realizada, através da progressividade fiscal, no Imposto Municipal sobre Imóveis de Portugal - IMI, considerando apenas os prédios urbanos, um dos instrumentos utilizados por este país no enfrentamento da crise no ano de 2016, após uma experiência desastrosa com um regime de austeridade no período de 2011 a 2015, além da verificação da possibilidade de aplicação dessa forma de graduação da capacidade contributiva no Imposto sobre a Propriedade Predial e Territorial Urbana - IPTU do Município do Recife/PE. A análise foi realizada com a utilização de pesquisas bibliográfica e documental, além da análise de dados fornecidos pelo Cadastro Imobiliário da Unidade de Tributos da Secretaria de Finanças do Município do Recife referentes aos valores venais do IPTU e do Imposto sobre a Transmissão Onerosa Inter Vivos – ITBI, deste Município, no ano de 2015, procedendo-se a uma análise descritiva e explicativa de todo o material, como forma de verificar, partindo-se da pergunta “causaria ofensa à CRFB/88 a aplicação da forma de graduação da capacidade contributiva, através da progressividade fiscal, realizada no IMI, em Portugal, no IPTU do Município do Recife/PE?”, a hipótese de que poderia ser aplicada tal forma de graduação ao IPTU do Município do Recife/PE. Ao final da análise, restou-se confirmada esta hipótese, inclusive, verificando-se que poderia ser conferida maior objetividade na fixação da base de cálculo do IPTU, já que a atual forma de fixação da base de cálculo desse imposto gera muitas dificuldades para o contribuinte compreender o lançamento do imposto, além de se apresentar a inadequação da forma de graduação da capacidade contributiva, através da progressividade fiscal, realizada pelo Município do Recife/PE, considerando os dados de 2015. Por fim, apresentam-se exemplos de como melhorar a graduação da capacidade contributiva por meio da progressividade fiscal no Município.

abstract: The world has been continuously urbanized and is currently accommodating more than half of the human population. Despite that cities cover only less than 3% of the Earth’s land surface area, they emerged as hotspots of anthropogenic activities. The drastic land use changes, complex three-dimensional urban terrain, and anthropogenic heat emissions alter the transport of mass, heat, and momentum, especially within the urban canopy layer. As a result, cities are confronting numerous environmental challenges such as exacerbated heat stress, frequent air pollution episodes, degraded water quality, increased energy consumption and water use, etc. Green infrastructure, in particular, the use of trees, has been proved as an effective means to improve urban environmental quality in existing research. However, quantitative evaluations of the efficacy of urban trees in regulating air quality and thermal environment are impeded by the limited temporal and spatial scales in field measurements and the deficiency in numerical models. This dissertation aims to advance the simulation of realistic functions of urban trees in both microscale and mesoscale numerical models, and to systematically evaluate the cooling capacity of urban trees under thermal extremes. A coupled large-eddy simulation–Lagrangian stochastic modeling framework is developed for the complex urban environment and is used to evaluate the impact of urban trees on traffic-emitted pollutants. Results show that the model is robust for capturing the dispersion of urban air pollutants and how strategically implemented urban trees can reduce vehicle-emitted pollution. To evaluate the impact of urban trees on the thermal environment, the radiative shading effect of trees are incorporated into the integrated Weather Research and Forecasting model. The mesoscale model is used to simulate shade trees over the contiguous United States, suggesting how the efficacy of urban trees depends on geographical and climatic conditions. The cooling capacity of urban trees and its response to thermal extremes are then quantified for major metropolitans in the United States based on remotely sensed data. It is found the nonlinear temperature dependence of the cooling capacity remarkably resembles the thermodynamic liquid-water–vapor equilibrium. The findings in this dissertation are informative to evaluating and implementing urban trees, and green infrastructure in large, as an important urban planning strategy to cope with emergent global environmental changes. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering 2019

Urban areas around the world are changing constantly and therefore it is necessary to update urban land cover maps regularly. Remote sensing techniques have been used to monitor changes and update land-use/land-cover information in urban areas for decades. Optical imaging systems have received most of the attention in urban studies. The development of SAR applications in urban monitoring has been accelerated with more and more advanced SAR systems operating in space.   This research investigated object-based and rule-based classification methodologies for extracting urban land-cover information from high resolution SAR data. The study area is located in the north and northwest part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Ontario, Canada, which has been undergoing rapid urban growth during the past decades. Five-date RADARSAT-1 fine-beam C-HH SAR images with a spatial resolution of 10 meters were acquired during May to August in 2002. Three-date RADARSAT-2 ultra-fine-beam C-HH SAR images with a spatial resolution of 3 meters were acquired during June to September in 2008.   SAR images were pre-processed and then segmented using multi-resolution segmentation algorithm. Specific features such as geometric and texture features were selected and calculated for image objects derived from the segmentation of SAR images. Both neural network (NN) and support vector machines (SVM) were investigated for the supervised classification of image objects of RADARSAT-1 SAR images, while SVM was employed to classify image objects of RADARSAT-2 SAR images. Knowledge-based rules were developed and applied to resolve the confusion among some classes in the object-based classification results.   The classification of both RADARSAT-1 and RADARSAT-2 SAR images yielded relatively high accuracies (over 80%). SVM classifier generated better result than NN classifier for the object-based supervised classification of RADARSAT-1 SAR images. Well-designed knowledge-based rules could increase the accuracies of some classes after the object-based supervised classification. The comparison of the classification results of RADARSAT-1 and RADARSAT-2 SAR images showed that SAR images with higher resolution could reveal more details, but might produce lower classification accuracies for certain land cover classes due to the increasing complexity of the images. Overall, the classification results indicate that the proposed object-based and rule-based approaches have potential for operational urban land cover mapping from high-resolution space borne SAR images. / QC 20101209

The objective of this licentiate thesis is to develop novel algorithms and improve existing methods for urban land cover mapping and urban extent extraction using multi-temporal remote sensing imagery. Past studies have demonstrated that synthetic aperture radar (SAR) have very good properties for the analysis of urban areas, the synergy of SAR and optical data is advantageous for various applications. The specific objectives of this research are: 1. To develop a novel edge-aware region-growing and -merging algorithm, KTH-SEG, for effective segmentation of SAR and optical data for urban land cover mapping; 2. To evaluate the synergistic effects of multi-temporal ENVISAT ASAR and HJ-1B multi-spectral data for urban land cover mapping; 3. To improve the robustness of an existing method for urban extent extraction by adding effective pre- and post-processing. ENVISAT ASAR data and the Chinese HJ-1B multispectral , as well as TerraSAR-X data were used in this research. For objectives 1 and 2 two main study areas were chosen, Beijing and Shanghai, China. For both sites a number of multitemporal ENVISAT ASAR (30m C-band) scenes with varying image characteristics were selected during the vegetated season of 2009. For Shanghai TerraSAR-X strip-map images at 3m resolution X-band) were acquired for a similar period in 2010 to also evaluate high resolution X-band SAR for urban land cover mapping. Ten  major landcover classes were extracted including high density built-up, low density built-up, bare field, low vegetation, forest, golf course, grass, water, airport runway and major road. For Objective 3, eleven globally distributed study areas where chosen, Berlin, Beijing, Jakarta, Lagos, Lombardia (northern Italy), Mexico City, Mumbai, New York City, Rio de Janeiro, Stockholm and Sydney. For all cities ENVISAT ASAR imagery was acquired and for cities in or close to mountains even SRTM digital elevation data. The methodology of this thesis includes two major components, KTH-SEG and KTH-Pavia Urban Extractor. KTH-SEG is an edge aware region-growing and -merging algorithm that utilizes both the benefit of finding local high frequency changes as well as determining robustly homogeneous areas of a low frequency in local change. The post-segmentation classification is performed using support vector machines. KTH-SEG was evaluated using multitemporal, multi-angle, dual-polarization ASAR data and multispectral HJ-1B data as well as TerraSAR-X data. The KTH-Pavia urban extractor is a processing chain. It includes: Geometrical corrections, contrast enhancement, builtup area extraction using spatial stastistics and GLCM texture features, logical operator based fusion and DEM based mountain masking. For urban land cover classification using multitemporal ENVISAT ASAR data, the results showed that KTH-SEG achieved an overall accuracy of almost 80% (0.77 Kappa ) for the 10 urban land cover classes both Beijign and Shanghai, compared to eCognition results of 75% (0.71 Kappa) In particular the detection of small linear features with respect to the image resolution such as roads in 30m resolved data went well with 83% user accuracy from KTH-SEG versus 57% user accuracy using the segments derived from eCognition. The other urban classes which in particular in SAR imagery are characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity were classified superiorly by KTH-SEG. ECognition in general performed better on vegetation classes such as grass, low vegetation and forest which are usually more homogeneous. It is was also found that the combination of ASAR and HJ-1B optical data was beneficial, increasing the final classification accuracy by at least 10% compared to ASAR or HJ-1B data alone. The results also further confirmed that a higher diversity of SAR type images is more important for the urban classification outcome. However, this is not the case when classifying high resolution TerraSAR-X strip-map imagery. Here the different image characteristics of different look angles, and orbit orientation created more confusion mainly due to the different layover and foreshortening effects on larger buildings. The TerraSAR-X results showed also that accurate urban classification can be achieved using high resolution SAR data alone with almost 84% for  eight classes around the Shanghai international Airport (high and low density built-up were not separated as well as roads and runways). For urban extent extraction, the results demonstrated that built-up areas can be effectively extracted using a single ENVISAT ASAR image in 10 global cities reaching overall accuracies around 85%, compared to 75% of MODIS urban class and 73% GlobCover Urban class. Multitemporal ASAR can improve the urban extraction results by 5-10% in Beijing. Mountain masking applied in Mumbai and Rio de Janeiro increased the accuracy by 3-5%.The research performed in  this thesis has contributed to the remote sensing community by providing algorithms and methods for both extracting urban areas and identifying urban land cover in a more detailed fashion. / <p>QC 20140625</p>