Using a Combination of Digital Aerial Photography and Satellite Remote Sensing to Assist Contemporary Restructuring in an Urban Area of South Africa

Abstract

The transition and restructuring process of urban South Africa are currently in the phase of identifying land development objectives. These objectives aim to integrate previously segregated areas through integrated development plans. This research aims firstly to identify and describe the historical development of the spatial form and structure of the secondary city and capital of the Northern Province, Pietersburg and its dispersed peripheral towns. Supervised classification of SPOT HRV multispectral imagery is used to support the theoretical explanation. Images from an airborne digital Kodak DCS 420 camera are used to provide training sites in the pre‐classification stages, and also provide field data to the process of post‐classification accuracy assessment. Secondly, SPOT HRV imagery is applied to identify the stark contrast in urban development between the city of Pietersburg and its surrounding former homeland towns. Both built and natural environmental aspects are investigated. In conclusion benefits and problems of assessing urban morphology and development in a developing country by means of a combination of satellite imagery and digital aerial photography are discussed.