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Copernicus Land Monitoring Service - Urban Atlas

Data
Prod-ID: DAT-190-en
Created 07 Dec 2017 Published 16 May 2018 Last modified 21 Feb 2022
1 min read
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The European Urban Atlas provides reliable, inter-comparable, high-resolution land use maps for over 300 Large Urban Zones and their surroundings (more than 100.000 inhabitants as defined by the Urban Audit) for the 2006 reference year in EU member states and for about 800 Functional Urban Area (FUA) and their surroundings (more than 50.000 inhabitants) for the 2012 and 2018 reference year in EEA39. Two additional layers were produced starting from the 2012 reference year: 1) Street Tree Layer within selected FUAs (depending on availability and suitability of satellite imagery) and 2) Building Heights for core urban areas of selected cities in EEA39. The first change layers were produced in 2012.

GIS data

Urban Atlas updates and additional layers
  • Urban Atlas 2018
    Download file
  • Urban Atlas 2012
    Download file
  • Urban Atlas 2006
    Download file
  • Street Tree Layer 2018
    Download file
  • Street Tree Layer 2012
    Download file
  • Building Heights 2012
    Download file
Urban Atlas change layers

[+] Show table definition

Direct link to Copernicus Urban Atlas Change 2006-2012 data:

https://land.copernicus.eu/local/urban-atlas/change-2006-2009/view

  • Urban Atlas change 2012-2018
    Download file
  • Urban Atlas change 2006-2012
    Download file

Metadata

information.png Reporting obligations (ROD)
  • Not applicable
information.png Related websites
Relation:
Derived data set:  Ecosystem types of Europe
Derived data set:  Environmental Accounting Reference Layers - SDI
information.png Geographic accuracy:
Minimum mapping unit: 500m2 Minimum mapping width: 10m
information.png Rights:
Access to data is based on a principle of full, open and free access as established by the Copernicus data and information policy Regulation (EU) No 1159/2013 of 12 July 2013. This regulation establishes registration and licensing conditions for GMES/Copernicus users. Free, full and open access to this data set is made on the conditions that:

1. When distributing or communicating Copernicus dedicated data and Copernicus service information to the public, users shall inform the public of the source of that data and information.

2. Users shall make sure not to convey the impression to the public that the user's activities are officially endorsed by the Union.

3. Where that data or information has been adapted or modified, the user shall clearly state this.

4. The data remain the sole property of the European Union. Any information and data produced in the framework of the action shall be the sole property of the European Union. Any communication and publication by the beneficiary shall acknowledge that the data were produced “with funding by the European Union”.
information.png Coordinate reference system:
EPSG:3035
information.png Data sources

Data delivered by the external service provider.

information.png Owners:
European Union
information.png Processors:
European Environment Agency (EEA)
 

Related content

Derived dataset

Interactive charts

Data Visualization Percentage of total green infrastructure, urban green space, and urban tree cover in the area of EEA-38 capital cities (excluding Liechtenstein)
Dashboard (Tableau) Land take in urban protected areas, 2012-2018 Land take and the associated soil sealing causes less resilient ecosystems through landscape fragmentation and habitats destruction, soil sealing, decreased carbon sequestration and impaired flood protection. These processes are one of the major drivers of land degradation. Restoring wetlands, peatlands, coastal ecosystems, forests, grasslands and agricultural soils are essential for avoiding biodiversity decline and for climate change adaptation. This dashboard presents an overview of land take processes in protected areas of Functional Urban Areas in EEA and EU member states for the years 2012-2018.
Dashboard (Tableau) Urban Green Infrastructure, 2018 Green infrastructure in urban areas consist of vegetated green surfaces, such as parks, trees and small forests, grasslands, but also private gardens or cemeteries. These all contribute to supporting biodiversity, pollinators, carbon sequestration, flood protection and protection against excess heats events. This dashboard facilitates the understanding of the amount of urban green in Functional Urban Areas of the EU and EEA member states.
Dashboard (Tableau) Land use efficiency in Functional Urban Areas, 2018 Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) represent 22.9 % of the EU territory, but host 75 % of its population. In order to fulfil global and European policy objectives, like “no net land take by 2050”, it is advisable to establish guidance values for land use efficiency for most common settlement types, in particular for urban fringes and small towns in rural areas. Such guidance values need to consider a good balance between efficient land use and sufficient green space to allow a good quality of life. This dashboard presents land use efficiency values for FUAs, calculated as land uptake per capita corresponding to the SDG indicator 11.3.1.
Dashboard (Tableau) Urban tree cover Trees in urban areas have multiple benefits for human well being and for biodiversity as well as for carbon sequestration, climate change adaptation and flood protection. The below dashboard presents urban tree cover statistics for Functional Urban Areas in the EU27+UK and for the EEA 38+UK region, by countries. The dashboard will be updated every 3 years after the availability of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service products Urban Atlas, Tree Cover Density and Street Tree Layer.
Dashboard (Tableau) Land recycling and densification 2006-2012 This interactive viewer shows land recycling status and change accounts for major European Functional Urban Areas (FUAs). Land recycling addresses the reuse of abandoned, vacant or underused urban land for new developments. Land recycling is considered a response to land take within FUAs, i.e. urban development on arable land, permanent crop land or semi-natural areas. It is a key planning instrument for achieving the goal of no net land take by 2050 (EC, 2016).
Data Visualization Ratio of densification to land take as an average of all functional urban areas (FUAs) by country
Data Visualization Ratio of grey recycling to land take as an average of all functional urban areas (FUAs) by country
Data Visualization Ratio of green recycling to land take as an average of all functional urban areas (FUAs) by country
Data Visualization Land recycling values of the top 30 functional urban areas (FUAs) by country
Data Visualization Components of land recycling as a percentage of total land consumption, per country

Interactive maps produced

Produced Indicators

Produced figures

Figure Land take in 2012-2018 in floodplains of the FUAs of the EU-27 and the UK region by country and FUA structure Left chart: The extent of land take during 2012-2018 (in % of the 2012 value) in floodplains of the FUAs is presented in the barchart, broken down by countries and protection type. The dataset covers the entire EEA-39 region but the figure only presents EU-27+UK countries. Right map: Land take is derived from comparing the Urban Atlas 2012 and 2018 datasets of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. Land take is expressed as the converted area in % of the 2012 land cover extent (% of non-urban land cover in 2012 that is converted to urban land cover by 2018). The dataset covers the entire EEA-39 region but the Figure only presents EU-27+UK countries.
Figure Land take in 2012-2018 in protected areas of FUAs of the EU-27 and the UK region, by country and protection type Left chart: The extent of land take during 2012-2018 (in percentage of the 2012 value) in protected areas of the FUAs is presented in the barchart, broken down by countries and protection type. The dataset covers the entire EEA-39 region but the figure only presents EU-27+UK countries. Right map: Land take is derived from comparing the Urban Atlas 2012 and 2018 datasets of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. Land take is expressed as the converted area in percentage of the 2012 land cover extent (percentage of non-urban land cover in 2012 that is converted to urban land cover by 2018). The dataset covers the entire EEA-39 region but te map only presents EU-27+UK countries.
Figure Estimated potential loss of water-holding capacity in FUAs caused by sealing in the EU-27 and the UK region during 2012-2018 The map visualizes water holding capacity loss due to the estimated soil sealing increase during 2012 and 2018 in FUAs. Although the figure presents EU27+UK values only, data is available for the EEA-38 region and the UK.
Figure Land take in 2012-2018 in FUAs of the EU-27 and the UK region, as a percentage of the area of artificial surfaces in 2012 Land take is derived from comparing the Urban Atlas 2012 and 2018 datasets of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. Land take is expressed as the converted area in % of the 2012 land cover extent (% of non-urban land cover in 2012 that is converted to urban land cover by 2018). The dataset covers the entire EEA-39 region but Figure 2.5 only presents EU-27+UK countries.
Figure Granularity of Corine Land Cover (left) and Urban Atlas (right) data for Helsinki, Malaga and Varna The map composition intends to show the different granularity, i.e. spatial resolution, between Corine Land Cover and Urban Atlas datasets, providing three examples in three different cities from different countries.
Figure Estimated loss of carbon sequestration potential in FUAs due to sealing in the EU-27 and the UK region between 2012 and 2018 (in tonnes of carbon) The map visualizes loss of potential carbon sequestration due to the estimated soil sealing increase during 2012 and 2018 in Functional Urban Areas (FUAs). Although the figure presents EU-27+UK values only, data is available for the EEA-38 region and the UK.
Figure Boxplot of land recycling by Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) and country The boxplot shows land recycling as percentage of total land consumption for the period 2006-2012.
Figure
Draft
Land take in protected areas of FUAs in 2018, by country and protection type Left chart: The extent of land take during 2012-2018 (in % of the 2012 value) in protected areas of the FUAs is presented in the bar chart, broken down by countries and protection type. The dataset covers the entire EEA-39 region but the figure only presents EU-27 (2020) +UK countries. Right map: Land take is derived from comparing the Urban Atlas 2012 and 2018 datasets of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. Land take is expressed as the converted area in % of the 2012 land cover extent (% of non-urban land cover in 2012 that is converted to urban land cover by 2018). The dataset covers the entire EEA-39 region but Figure 2.3 only presents EU-27 (2020) +UK countries.

Used in indicators

Indicator Specification Land recycling and densification This indicator addresses the use of urban land for further urban development, whether that urban land is currently in use or not. The indicator comprises two concepts of urban development: land recycling and land densification. Land recycling is defined as the reuse of abandoned, vacant or underused land for redevelopment. It includes ‘grey recycling’ and ‘green recycling’. Grey recycling is when ‘grey’ urban objects, such as buildings or transport infrastructures, are built under redevelopment. Green recycling is when ‘green’ urban objects, such as green urban areas or sport facilities, are built. Land densification is defined as the land development that takes place within existing communities, making maximum use of the existing infrastructure instead of building on previously undeveloped land. The indicator examines land recycling relative to total land consumption. Total land consumption is understood as all the land use processes occurring on or ending up in developed land, i.e. urban redevelopment, urban and infrastructure sprawl, and any change in previously developed land. Land recycling includes both the densification and the recycling phenomena. Therefore, land recycling is understood broadly and includes three components: land densification, grey land recycling and green land recycling.

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For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/copernicus-land-monitoring-service-urban-atlas or scan the QR code.

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