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Irregular settlements
Overview
This layer shows Irregular settlements—areas classified as informal or atomistic development based on automated analysis of satellite imagery in the Global Intra-Urban Land Use dataset (Guzder-Williams et al. 2023). Informal and atomistic development are characterized by structures and streets (or other paths for human movement) that are not the product of formal planning processes. Atomistic settlements commonly are served by formal services such as stormwater management and formal electricity, while informal settlements commonly are not served by formal services.
Function
To identify areas where city residents might suffer from lower access to formal services and therefore have greater vulnerability to extreme heat.
Source
WRI
Data sources
WRI Intraurban Land Use, Sentinel-2
Spatial resolution
10 meter
Spatial coverage
Selection of global cities
Temporal resolution
Static
Temporal coverage
2022
Cautions
Identification of informal and atomistic development is based on automated anaysis of satellite imagery, not on local data or on-the-ground site assessment. by itself, the data should not be used for actions or policies of specific locations. It is suitable to assess spatial patterns at the city scale.