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INTRODUCTION
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INTRODUCTION |
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Urbanization is a process that involves a complex set of processes that are influenced by economic, demographic, social, cultural, technological, and environmental aspects that is a result due to an increase in the population of a territory/area, an increasing density of population within urban settlements. Urbanization involves process that is irreversible and leads to most dominant land use transformation. India is a place where urban areas have experienced a high rate of growth over the last Decade. Demographic processes of immigration and migration, as well as natural population growth, are important determinants of urbanization. Karnataka being one of the major hub for livelihood of various groups of working population has its share in the growing urban area. Geoinformatics through spatio-temporal tools can aid city planners to measure, monitor, and understand urban sprawl processes. Patterns and processes of globalization and consequent urbanization are the factors influencing contemporary land use trends and also posing challenges for sustainable land uses (Currit ei al., 2009). Analysis of landscape patterns and dynamics has become the primary objectives of landscape, geographical and ecological studies in recent times. Urban Sprawl refers to the areas in the outskirts or in the periphery where there occurs a dispersed growth and hence leading to changes in Land use and Land cover of these regions (Ramachandra and Kumar, 2009). Multi temporal remote sensing data available since 1970 at regular intervals helps in analyzing and understanding the agents of temporal changes. By understanding the Dynamics of these changes it can help in various monitoring activities such as better planning, improved facilities to the sprawl areas, resource management etc.
Previous studies (Sudhira et al., 2004; Priyadarshini et al., 2010; Aninditha et al., 2010; Bharath et al., 2010, Bharath et al., 2012), show that the tier 1 cities have reached the threshold of urbanization. Hence, the demand for urban area has shifted towards Tier two cities for urban development. Tier two cities are to be managed and planned properly in order to avoid haphazard growth with urban Sprawl. Hence, there is a need to study urban pattern in tier two cities. Spatial data available temporal scale helps to monitor urban dynamics accurately and efficiently. Temporal remote sensing data obtained from sensors mounted on satellites helps in providing information on spatial and temporal aspects of landscape. This helps in inventorying and mapping land cover (LC) changes due to urbanization. Mapping landscapes on temporal scale provide an opportunity to monitor the changes, which is important for natural resource management and sustainable planning activities. In this context, “Density Gradient” with the time series spatial data analysis is potentially useful in measuring urban development (Torrens and Alberti, 2000). Through spatial metrics, which are the measures for analyses of spatial pattern of LC patches or entire landscape helps in providing understanding of heterogeneous characteristics of urban area and also the impact of urban development in that area and on the surrounding environment (Jenerette, 2001; Yu and Ng, 2007). This work combines land use analyses, environmental change and analyses of alternative pathways for sustainable development. The analyses will directly address crosscutting issues at the interface between policy and science.