Per-pixel Classification of High Spatial Resolution Satellite Imagery for Urban Land-cover Mapping

Commercial high spatial resolution satellite data now provide a synoptic and consistent source of digital imagery with detail comparable to that of aerial photography. In the work described here, per-pixel classification, image fusion, and GIS-based map refinement techniques were tailored to pan-sharpened 0.61 m QuickBird imagery to develop a six-category urban land-cover map with 89.3 percent overall accuracy ( �� 0.87). The study area was a rapidly developing 71.5 km 2 part of suburban Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S.A., within the Neuse River basin. “Edge pixels” were a source of classification error as was spectral overlap between bare soil and impervious surfaces and among vegetated cover types. Shadows were not a significant source of classification error. These findings demonstrate that conventional spectral-based classification methods can be used to generate highly accurate maps of urban landscapes using high spatial resolution imagery.