Population detection profiles of DMSP-OLS night-time imagery by regions of the world

One emerging application of night-time light imagery focuses on estimating levels of access to electricity globally (Doll & Pachauri, 2010; Elvidge et al., 2010). A central consideration of such studies is the population density which can be consistently detected from night-time light imagery. Whilst numerous studies have addressed the relationship to light and population statistics in order to predict population, the use of spatially explicit population databases allows for a more detailed description of these relationships. This paper reports the variation of different detection profiles of two publically available gridded population datasets. These are disaggregated by region to reveal a vast contrast in what we may assume to be observable population in different parts of the world. A dynamic trend emerges with respect to levels of development with the most developed nations hypothesized to be the theoretical minimum observable population density. Beyond contributing to the analysis of areas of the world without access to electricity, more fundamentally, this analysis addresses a basic question about night-time lights and how it relates to population globally and in particular the relative merits of two commonly used population databases

Explaining the diffusion of energy-efficient lighting in India : a technology innovation systems approach

Electricity consumption from lighting accounts for about 15% of total power demand and 5−6% of greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. It is therefore a promising avenue to achieve considerable energy savings through technological innovation and upgrading. India has been very successful in recent years with a nationwide roll-out of modern light-emitting diode (LED) applications. This study uses the framework of technology innovation systems to identify the actors, institutions, and processes behind the diffusion of this technology. Our findings indicate that national innovation strategies, along with low-carbon technology (LCT) transfer policies, helped to bring down the cost of LED lamps in a rapidly expanding domestic market. Based on the findings, we further explore lessons for broader issues of low-carbon technology transfer and suggest an emerging intermediate step between north−south and south−south technology transfer

Sustainable Smart Cities : Applying Complexity Science to Achieve Urban Sustainability

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Estimating rural populations without access to electricity in developing countries through night-time light satellite imagery

A lack of access to energy and, in particular, electricity is a less obvious manifestation of poverty but arguably one of the most important. This paper investigates the extent to which electricity access can be investigated using night-time light satellite data and spatially explicit population datasets to compare electricity access between 1990 and 2000. We present here the first satellite derived estimates of rural population without access to electricity in developing countries to draw insights on issues surrounding the delivery of electricity to populations in rural areas. The paper provides additional evidence of the slow progress in expansion of energy access to households in Sub-Saharan Africa and shows how this might be ascribed in part due to the low population densities in rural areas. The fact that this is a continent with some of the lowest per-capita income levels aggravates the intrinsic difficulties associated with making the investments needed to supply electricity in areas with low population density and high dispersion. Clearly, these spatial dimensions of the distributions of the remaining unelectrified populations in the world have an impact on what options are considered the most appropriate in expanding access to these households and the relative attractiveness of decentralized options.Electricity access Rural development Night-time light remote sensing

Delhi revisited

This paper revisits the City Profile for Delhi, the first article ever published in Cities in 1983 (Datta, 1983). Thirty years later and following the centennial anniversary year of Delhi’s establishment as the capital of India in 2012, this article makes a wide-ranging survey of Delhi in the administrative, socio-economic and environmental arenas. By tracing the history of urban planning in the city to the present and examining the issues facing Delhi, we then critically examine its institutional arrangements with respect to the outcomes of recent developments that have occurred in the city. These aspects are then evaluated in the context of the future development of the city; a city which still faces numerous local challenges but also houses the government of an emerging superpower that will play an increasing role both regionally and globally

Institutional framework for urban development with co-benefits: the Indian experience

The co-benefits approach has been proposed as a means for mainstreaming environmental concerns into urban development, especially in developing countries. This paper reviews the Indian situation setting out the urban-environmental challenge. National policies related to urban development, climate change and specific sectors are examined and then, with the aid of cases, analysed to understand the strengths and weaknesses of generating co-benefits in the world's second most populous country