Outlining where humans live -- The World Settlement Footprint 2015

Human settlements are the cause and consequence of most environmental and societal changes on Earth; however, their location and extent is still under debate. We provide here a new 10m resolution (0.32 arc sec) global map of human settlements on Earth for the year 2015, namely the World Settlement Footprint 2015 (WSF2015). The raster dataset has been generated by means of an advanced classification system which, for the first time, jointly exploits open-and-free optical and radar satellite imagery. The WSF2015 has been validated against 900,000 samples labelled by crowdsourcing photointerpretation of very high resolution Google Earth imagery and outperforms all other similar existing layers; in particular, it considerably improves the detection of very small settlements in rural regions and better outlines scattered suburban areas. The dataset can be used at any scale of observation in support to all applications requiring detailed and accurate information on human presence (e.g., socioeconomic development, population distribution, risks assessment, etc.)

World heritage mapping in a standard-based structured geographical information system

This research aims at the study of the (dynamic) relationship between the World Heritage sites and the related human settlements development. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) can be useful to represent the involved information and to analyze such relationship. However, an effective harmonized structure and unique storage of possibly heterogeneous datasets is necessary to enable it. This initial step is the focus of this paper. First, the description of the structure of the related datasets and the assessment of the availability, quality, and consistency of the available information about the Heritage sites and properties is presented. Among those requirements, the quality of the associated spatial information is critical (e.g. kind of shape, accuracy, georeferencing). Second, considering the structure of the available datasets concerning the world heritage, together with the HERILAND research requirements, a global world heritage GIS is designed. The classification and data model to manage the WH list falls within the wider issue of structuring the cultural heritage documentation, involving both the definition of the semantic content and the geometric representation. In order to comply with the important requirement of data interoperability in science and to strengthen the outcomes of the research, some standardized data models and classifications are considered

International Cooperation in Climate Monitoring via Satellite: Incentives and Barriers to Data Sharing

Understanding and addressing climate change requires the collection of a significant amount of environmental data. Although satellites can best collect much of this data, it is not possible for one nation to collect all relevant climate data on its own, and there are currently gaps in relevant satellite data collection. Further, much of the data that is collected is not shared freely, but instead has barriers to access that limit its use for both scientific research and operational purposes. This research examined the development of data sharing policies to identify the barriers and incentives to international sharing of climate data collected by satellites. Quantitative analysis of satellite data-sharing policies for Earth observation data as well as case studies of domestic agencies in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, showed that limitations in data sharing are due to 1) a belief that data can efficiently be treated as a commodity, a viewpoint which conflicts with experience for nearly all climate data; 2) the lack of recognition of the normative justification for sharing climate data, though this norm exists for weather data; and 3) insufficient agreement that international cooperation and data sharing are required to adequately monitor climate change. These limitations exist due to uncertainties about the nature of the market for climate data, the inadequate understanding of climate impacts and the ability to mitigate them, and an inadequate understanding of the requirements of climate science and operational activities. To address this situation, countries should adopt free and open policies, recognizing that social benefit is maximized when data is treated as a public good and freely shared, and that cost recovery and commercialization of scientific satellite data are not viable. Countries should also share climate data internationally because it has the potential to save lives and property, creating a moral requirement for sharing. Finally, countries should agree on a minimal set of climate data that must be shared to adequately monitor climate. This agreement should be institutionalized by World Meteorological Organization (WMO) resolution framework, similar to WMO Resolution 40, which addressed weather data sharing

Now for the long term: the report of the Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations

This report is the product of a year long process of research and debate undertaken by a group of eminent leaders on the successes and failures in addressing global challenges over recent decades. As the world slowly emerges from the devastating Financial Crisis, it is time to reflect on the lessons of this turbulent period and think afresh about how to prevent future crises. The Oxford Martin Commission for Future Generations focuses on the increasing short-termism of modern politics and our collective inability to break the gridlock which undermines attempts to address the biggest challenges that will shape our future. In Now for the Long Term, they urge decision-makers to overcome their pressing daily preoccupations to tackle problems that will determine the lives of today’s and tomorrow’s generations. Dr James Martin, the founder of the Oxford Martin School, highlights that humanity is at a crossroads. This could be our best century ever, or our worst. The outcome will depend on our ability to understand and harness the extraordinary opportunities as well as manage the unprecedented uncertainties and risks.   The report identifies what these challenges are, explains how progress can be made, and provides practical recommendations. The Commission outlines an agenda for the long term. The case for action is built in three parts. The first, Possible Futures , identifies the key drivers of change and considers how we may address the challenges that will dominate this century. Next, in Responsible Futures, the Commission draws inspiration from previous examples of where impediments to action have been overcome, and lessons from where progress has been stalled. We then consider the characteristics of our current national and global society that frustrate progress. The final part, Practical Futures, sets out the principles for action and offers illustrative recommendations which show how we can build a sustainable, inclusive and resilient future for all. &nbsp

Constructive conversations on resilient urban futures

This publication is a co-created compilation of various conversations concerning our possibilities and pathways towards resilient urban futures. A series of interviews conducted so far within the Real Estate and Sustainable Crisis Management in Urban Environments (RESCUE) project on several occasions – such as conferences, research visit – have been documented here to give food for thinking and discussions concerning resilience. The questions of the interviews have been tailor-made to address the expertise of each interviewee, while the core of interviews touches upon the topic of urban resilience in its all dimensions as well as the issues of forward-looking thinking and action. Another type of anticipatory method, as a conversational tool we wish to experiment with, is a narrative. The researchers of the RESCUE project chose an actual case area for reviewing its crisis resilience as well as potential for wellbeing of its residents and the preservation of the environment. The related conversations were used to construct a narrative of the area in 2050 and test an imagined pathway towards resilience. The narrative is a work in progress – meant to be used for reflections, elaborations, discussions and further narratives among its readers, stakeholders to the area and the topic at hand as well those interested in designing and constructing resilient urban futures

World Settlement Footprint 3D - A first three-dimensional survey of the global building stock

Settlements, and in particular cities, are at the center of key future challenges related to global change and sustainable development. Widely used indicators to assess the efficiency and sustainability of settlement development are the compactness and density of the built-up area. However, at global scale, a temporally consistent and spatially detailed survey of the distribution and concentration of the building stock – meaning the total area and volume of buildings within a defined spatial unit or settlement, commonly referred to as building density – does not yet exist. To fill this data and knowledge gap, an approach was developed to map key characteristics of the world’s building stock in a so far unprecedented level of spatial detail for every single settlement on our planet. The resulting World Settlement Footprint 3D dataset quantifies the fraction, total area, average height, and total volume of buildings for a measuring grid with 90 m cell size. The World Settlement Footprint 3D is generated using a modified version of the World Settlement Footprint human settlements mask derived from Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery at 10 m spatial resolution, in combination with 12 m digital elevation data and radar imagery collected by the TanDEM-X mission. The underlying, automated processing framework includes three basic workflows: one estimating the mean building height based on an analysis of height differences along potential building edges, a second module determining the building fraction and total building area within each 90 m cell, and a third part combining the height information and building area in order to determine the average height and total built-up volume at 90 m gridding. Optionally, a simple 3D building model (level of detail 1) can be generated for regions where data on the building footprints is available. A comprehensive validation campaign based on 3D building models obtained for 19 regions (~86,000 km2) and street-view samples indicating the number of floors for >130,000 individual buildings in 15 additional cities documents that the novel World Settlement Footprint 3D data provides valuable and, for the first time, globally consistent information on key characteristics of the building stock in both, large urban agglomerations as well as small-scale rural settlements. Thus, the new dataset represents a promising baseline dataset for a wide range of previously impossible environmental, socioeconomic, and climatological studies worldwide

Circular entrepreneurship. Creating Responsible Enterprise

This original book explores how the principles of circularity, considered a law of nature but neglected within the materialistic orientation of the industrial age, are becoming attractive again in business and society. Investigation reveals enterprises small and large delivering a stimulating message, from changes in entrepreneurial mindsets to the inclusive use of new technologies and a push for innovation. Zucchella and Urban explore the novel concept of circular enterprise, showing how, with their capacity to innovate, these firms are becoming the most powerful actors of a new, sustainable social order. They examine two fundamental questions: why is this revolution occurring now, and how is it being implemented? Focusing on the most innovative practices, they demonstrate the potential of circular enterprise for industry and wider society, making clear that a new world is emerging