A highly detailed land-use vector map for Madrid region based on photo-interpretation

Land Use - Land Cover (LULC) maps have developed remarkably since the global community became aware of the importance of knowing where LULC change is taking place on the Earth's surface. The rapid evolution of geographic information data handling and the automation of satellite image interpretation through remote sensing techniques and algorithms is providing increasingly abundant and up-to-date information on LULC. In addition, at large detail scales, it is important to link LULC maps to available statistical information, such as census information and business activities, which allow land parcels to be more accurately classified. Though automated classification methods can produce useful maps at smaller detail scales, it is not usually possible to accurately map urban areas at large scales without considerable investment of human resources. The development of large-scale information for urban areas is very important, especially in urban areas with accelerated rates of urban change which may jeopardize natural resources and citizens' quality of life. In this paper, the creation of a set of large detail scale LULC maps and accompanying geodatabase for one such dynamic urban change region, the Madrid Autonomous Community (AC), Spain, is discussed.