Aim
Aim of this course is to provide you with an overview on geographic processes of urbanization, the related demographic and structural changes of cities, and data analyses methods using remote sensing data for applications in urban geography.
Content
Humankind is within its largest migration ever: from rural areas into cities. The drivers of this global process of urbanization from demographic to economic and the related structural changes cities are facing will be discussed in this course. Remote sensing is one crucial data source in this dynamic transformation and its products are highly relevant for urban planning, as well as environmental management. Within this course different approaches and techniques are covered focusing on deriving relevant information about urbanized areas on different levels of detail. Uni-temporal-, multi-temporal-, and time series based image classification, segmentation, the analyses of point patterns, GIS analyses to assess spatial context and dependencies, as well as analyses in the 3D domain will be addressed in this course. This will be done providing and discussing example applications from different regions globally (e.g. urban sprawl analysis of megacities, the development of new dimensions of urban landscapes such as mega-regions, the rearrangement of business districts within the urban landscape, etc.). You will learn what capabilities Earth observation data, methods and products have for urban research and applications and how to design remote sensing based urban analysis, how to avoid caveats, troubleshoot errors and interpret the results.
General Course News and Updates
Mapping Fire from the Sky – Anna Bischof’s MSc Thesis on Savanna Fire Patterns
Wildfires are an essential ecological process in African savannas, shaping landscapes, influencing biodiversity, and playing a key role in nutrient cycling. Understanding their dynamics is crucial for both science and management – and this is where EAGLE MSc student...
Exploring the Desert: Farimah’s Internship at Gobabeb in Namibia
We’re excited to share that our EAGLE MSc student, Farimah, is currently spending her internship at the renowned Gobabeb Namib Research Institute, nestled in the heart of the Namib Desert—one of the oldest and most unique desert ecosystems in the world. Farimah’s...
M.Sc. Student Clara Vydra Begins Thesis Field Work on Alpine Water Resources
We’re pleased to share that our M.Sc. student Clara Vydra has recently begun her thesis field work in the Austrian Alps in collaboration with the German Alpine Association (DAV) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Her research focuses on the impacts of climate...
Future in Focus: EAGLE Students Host Mini-Symposium on Remote Sensing Innovations
In a spirited display of teamwork, scientific curiosity, and professional growth, our international MSc students from the EAGLE program recently organised and chaired their own scientific mini-symposium, showcasing the latest developments in remote sensing. The event...
Successful MSc Thesis Defense by Ronja Seitz on UAV-Based Monitoring of High-Arctic Tundra Dynamics
We warmly congratulate Ronja Seitz on the successful defense of her MSc thesis, which tackled one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time: the rapid warming of the high Arctic. Her research focused on Svalbard, one of the fastest-warming regions on...
🗺 Exploring Map Visualizations
Within our EAGLE courses our students have to learn a wide variety of skills - beside the fundamental earth observation theory and practice also skills like map creation is part of the curriculum. One of our students Ronja Seitz has created three visualizations guides...
Course on Object-based image analysis
Dr. Michael Wurm from the German Aerospace Center (DLR) gave a class about Object-based image analysis (OBIA) using the eCognition Software for the EAGLE students. The course gives an insight into the theoretical basis of OBIA and using different datasets and tasks...
EAGLE Innolab Presentation “Earth observation data cube for the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda”
On July 15, 2025, Jean de Dieu Tuyizere will present his Innolab results on " Earth observation data cube for the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda" at 12:00 in seminar room 3, John-Skilton-Str. 4a. From the abstract: The increasing availability of Earth...
EAGLE Innolab Presentation “Earth observation data cube for the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda”
On July 15, 2025, Jean de Dieu Tuyizere will present his Innolab on " Earth observation data cube for the Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda" at 12:00 in seminar room 3, John-Skilton-Str. 4a. From the abstract: The increasing availability of Earth observation (EO)...
WG: EAGLE Innolab Presentation “Automated Basement Identification in SVI: A Two-Stage Learning Framework”
On July 15, 2025, Gökce Budak will present her Innolab results on " Automated Basement Identification in SVI: A Two-Stage Learning Framework" at 13:00 in seminar room 3, John-Skilton-Str. 4a. From the abstract: The presence of a basement, a structural attribute not...