Fez is the most ancient of the imperial cities of Morocco. In Fez the rate of population growth has been spectacular in recent times (484,300 inhabitants in 1982 and 1,129,768 in 2014). The accelerated rate of population growth has generated a large urban sprawl in all its forms and serious environmental problems. In this research, we have analyzed the relationship between urbanization and land use changes and their impact on cityscape in Fez and the importance of the increase in impervious surface areas. Satellite imageries and census data have been used to identify different patterns of land use change and growth of the city for the period 1984–2013. Classification and analysis of the satellite imageries were performed using Erdas imagine and ArcGIS Software. Urban sprawl in Fez was assessed over 29 years (1984–2013). The overall accuracy of land cover change maps, generated from post-classification change detection methods and evaluated using several approaches, ranged from 78% to 87%. The maps showed that between 1984 and 2013 the amount of urban or developed land increased by about 121%, while rural cover by agriculture and forest decreased respectively by 11% and 3%.

https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/1487189.pdf

Analysis of urban growth and sprawl from remote sensing data: Case of Fez, Morocco

Monitoring of land use and land cover (LULC) change is fundamental aspect of the landscape dynamics or environmental health evaluation at different spatio-temporal scales. Assessment of LULC change is highly imperative in evaluating the environmental and ecosystem management, conservation, land use planning, resource management and overall sustainable environmental management. The rich natural biodiversity zone of Bhutan–Bengal foothill has been considered to assess the LULC change from 1987 to 2019. The principal objective of this study is to identify the rate of transformation of land use and land cover change along with its causes and consequences. ETM, ETM+ and OLI Landsat satellite images of 1987, 2001 and 2019 are used to find out the magnitude of land use and land cover transformation. Maximum likelihood classifier or maximum likelihood classification method has been applied to classify the attributes of LULC change of Bhutan–Bengal foothill. The LULC components are further verified and rectified by reliable statistical error (confused) matrix accuracy assessment techniques to sort out the error incurred during preparation of final spatio-temporal LULC change maps. The result shows that there is a partial change of LULC during the last 3 decades (1987–2019). LULC data of 3 decades reveal a negative change or reduction of areas like vegetation (− 2.93%), agriculture (− 6.955) and plantation (− 0.5%), whereas other three important LULC components such as built-up area (6.44%), barren land (2.71%) and water body (1.29%) take slightly positive trend. Large-scale human encroachment, natural forest habitat fragmentation and conversion have brought rapid transformation from natural landscape to cultural landscape in Bhutan–Bengal foothill. This fundamental research will definitely help to make policy framing holistic management approach.

Spatio-temporal Patterns of Land Use/Land Cover Change in the Bhutan–Bengal Foothill Region Between 1987 and 2019: Study Towards Geospatial Applications and Policy Making

Rapid urban growth in major cities of a country poses challenges for sustainable development. Particularly in Africa, the process of rapid urbanization is little understood and research is mostly limited to single cities. Thus, this study provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of the growth and spatial patterns of urban development in the three major cities of Ethiopia (Addis Ababa, Adama, and Hawassa) from 1987 to 2017. Also, the applicability of diffusion and coalescence theory on the evolution of these cities has been tested. Remote sensing and GIS technologies were combined with spatial metrics and morphological analysis was employed to undertake this study. The result revealed that all the studied cities experienced accelerated growth in the urbanized areas, but the cities with a larger initial urbanized size were associated with lower expansion rates. Differences in extent and direction of expansion in each city were mostly related to physical features, urban master plans, and policies, with an increase in the irregularity and dispersion of urban growth, representing strong evidence of urban sprawl. The spatiotemporal analysis confirmed that the urbanization processes of Addis Ababa and Adama were consistent and Hawassa city diverged from expectations based on diffusion and coalescence theory. In general, large cities with strong economic growth in a country fail to effectively control the scattered nature of urban growth, thus requiring aggressive policy intervention. The approach used in this study permits a deeper exploration of urban development patterns and the identification of priority areas for effective urban planning and management.

Urban Expansion in Ethiopia from 1987 to 2017: Characteristics, Spatial Patterns, and Driving Forces

Mapping patterns of urban development in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, using machine learning regression modeling with bi-seasonal Landsat time series

A multi-sensor and multi-temporal remote sensing approach to detect land cover change dynamics in heterogeneous urban landscapes

There is an increasing demand for 3D city models for many applications and users worldwide. Fez is one of the most important tourism locations in Morocco and is a challenge for 3D city modeling due to its complex buildings and road structure. Due to its importance this Historic Medina of Fez was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1981. It is located in the northern part of Morocco. In this work, we discuss the construction of a digital surface model based on aerial image stereo pairs using matching method and the use of this DSM for 3D city planning. We used aerial photographs with high accuracy (1/4000) covering the study area acquired in 2007 and additional cartographic data from Fez. 3D land use zoning allowed building volumes, usage, and density. They are the main tools defining the image of a city and bring into focus the model of best practice of the rehabilitation and conservation of the historic Medina.

https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/952312.pdf

Digital surface model based on aerial image stereo pairs for 3D building

In order to develop an urban GIS of Fez, we began with the scoping and feasibility study of the system. This strategic review has identified the characteristics of the urban areas, their problems, needs and existing potential, both in terms of data, equipment or personnel. This contribution focuses on a conceptual modeling of the geospatial database, the proposed template for the system and the quality assurance plan for the project. According to the feasibility study conducted during the first phase, the system must have an architecture respecting the intervention of actors in the city. Therefore, the implementation of the system requires an adequate hardware and software platform for optimum operation of the proposed urban GIS. After identifying technical choices, the financing plan of this scenario has been proposed. This arrangement is structured in three parts: Hardware, Software and Development/Training.

/pdf/geospatial-database-template-for-urban-management-in-fez-59qnp33qb6.pdf

Said El Garouani

Papers

Analysis of urban growth and sprawl from remote sensing data: Case of Fez, Morocco

Digital surface model based on aerial image stereo pairs for 3D building

Geospatial Database Template for Urban Management in Fez (Morocco)