Towards an urban atlas : assessment of spatial data on 25 European cities and urban areas

The present report describes the work developed by the Murbandy/Moland project (Monitoring Urban Dynamics/Monitoring Land Use Changes). The aim of the report is to disseminate the first results of this research project dedicated to measure and assess urban dynamics through the creation of land use databases for 25 cities and urban areas within Europe. These databases combine environmental, economic and social data in order to better understand the characteristics and dynamics of urban growth and related land use changes, such as transport and energy infrastructures and changes in agricultural and natural areas. The project results show the spatial evolution of a selected set of urban areas with the aim of proposing a methodology for a strategic monitoring of the impact of urban development on the environment.