Integrating geospatial technology and population census data for city management: case of Kanpur city, India

Urbanization is inevitable and irreversible. In India, more than two-fifths of the total 377 million urban dwellers inhabit 53 metropolitan cities as per 2011 census. This is radically transforming the urban environment of metropolitan areas in the country creating social and environmental problems in the condition of inadequate provision of basic infrastructure for sustenance and proper housing at affordable cost. All this has made the cities mismanaged. A rapid impetus and thrust is required for the development of urban areas on sustainable basis to meet the increasing demand of urban population for housing, infrastructure, civic amenities and green space without comprising the natural resources’ assets and quality of life. It is proposed that the urban landscape and human environment be studied by integrating satellite imagery with population census data to support research and planning efforts related to land development and conservation. The idea is reinforced taking Kanpur, the largest urban agglomerations of Uttar Pradesh among cities with at least million population, as a case study. High resolution of Cartosat-1 (PAN image), LISS-IV (MX) satellite, Census Data, Toposheets at scale of 1:50,000, Municipal Corporation map of Kanpur city 2005-06 and Kanpur City Development Plan, 2006 have been used for meaningful analysis. Satellite data have been used for the land-use/land cover classification of Kanpur city, based on NUIS Manual, 2008 which provides the geographic understanding of the city and a key aspect to provide the base for the city management.