Ecological and geographical aspects of the study of urbanization processes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31861/Keywords:
urbanization,, environmental geography,, urban ecosystem,, spatial analysis,, GIS,, Earth observation,, urban heat island,, green infrastructure.Abstract
The paper examines urbanization through an environmental-geographical lens, treating it as a coupled process of population concentration, spatial reconfiguration of land use, and modified functioning of natural components within urban systems and their peri-urban zones. The aim is to justify approaches that improve the spatial and temporal comparability of urbanization assessments while enabling robust interpretation of environmental effects associated with built-up expansion, changes in urban green cover, thermal conditions, and air quality. The conceptual framework views the city as an anthropogenically transformed ecosystem characterized by pronounced spatial heterogeneity and distinctive flows of energy and matter, which necessitates integrating socio-statistical evidence with geospatial information. Methodologically, the study argues for combining harmonized settlement typologies based on the degree of urbanisation and functional urban area concepts with Earth observation and GIS-based analytics. Landsat products are highlighted as suitable for repeatable land surface temperature assessment and the identification of overheating hotspots, whereas Sentinel-2 surface reflectance data support fine-scale mapping of vegetation structure and green infrastructure. The analytical output is interpreted through a coherent indicator logic that links the intensity of urban land take and land-use efficiency to ecosystem services delivered by green areas, heat-related risks during extreme temperature events, and air-quality parameters benchmarked against contemporary public health guidelines. The discussion highlights that such environmental-geographical diagnostics provides actionable evidence for spatial planning, climate adaptation, and the reduction of anthropogenic pressure, particularly where administrative boundaries fail to capture functional urban footprints. The proposed approach is positioned as policy-relevant because it aligns with international sustainability and resilience frameworks and can be operationalized within national environmental and urban-planning regulations to support integrated monitoring and targeted interventions in rapidly transforming urban regions
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