Assessment of risk in urban environments using geo-spatial analysis

Abstract

Geospatial technologies are focused around the acquisition, integration, analysis, visualization, management and distribution of data having an explicit spatial and temporal context (Wachter et al. 2006). These data are usually analyzed within geographic information systems (GIS). These technologies have grown to include a wide array of technologies, many of which are actively used in urban risk assessment. First, these geospatial tools and technologies are often used for the identification of hazards or the establishment of risk parameters, like height above flood stage (elevation derived through photogrammetric methods or LIDAR) and proximity to hazards (distance). Second, they can be used to actively map risk (e.g., active wildfires detected through remote sensing). Finally, these geospatial technologies can be integrative through visualization tools and models often delivered through internet-based mapping and services. © 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.