Since 1980th, rapid population growth and urbanization have become issues in big cities in developing
countries like Greater Cairo. As a consequence of explosive growth, the living conditions of Cairo
Metropolis deteriorate. Development trends of the last twenty years have increased general wealth and
modernization, at a time of a high rate of population growth, thus creating an increased demand for land
combined with environmental degradation.
Planning a sustainable development of urban areas requires understanding of growth dynamics of urban
systems. This talk will be concerned with monitoring and analysis of dynamic environment to capture and
refine the urban patterns in Greater Cairo Metropolis on the basis of pixel-based and object-based
classifications. Satellite images (TM, ETM+, & Spot) of different dates and resolutions, and ground truth
data collected from available maps, field observation, and personal experience were used to execute the
image segmentation analysis to reveal urban patterns and expansions. By using Erdas Imagine software, land
use / land cover image classifications were constructed, which showed regimes and trends in urban growth
change.
The presented maps based on object segmentation have more accurate results than the produced maps based
on pixel classification module. Two main types of urban patterns could be detected (passing from center to
periphery). The first one is informal and the second one is formal building. The informal type mainly
comprises slums and urban encroachment on arable land. The formal one mostly consists of new cities and
legal houses. Moreover, a rate of urbanization growth during the last three decades would be described as
geometrical progression.