Harmonised global definition of cities and settlements

Capacity building and training

Engagement and outreach

Resources

Tools

The tools developed and used by the GHSL to produce new global information that is contributing to new global findings together with our data mining technologies are openly documented and are freely available for the user and the scientific communities.

Methodology

The GHSL image analytics framework has been tested with a large set of sensors including radar and optical, public and commercial missions. Read about the methodology of the GHSL.

Applying the Degree of Urbanisation

A methodological manual to define cities, towns and rural areas for international comparisons, 2021 edition

The Atlases of the Human Planet

Since 2016, the JRC and the GEO Human Planet Initiative produce the 'Atlas of the Human Planet'. A yearly release of the new findings related to the human presence on Earth as compiled from the new global evidences gathered by the international scientific community.

The training programme of the Degree of Urbanisation

Course details

The Degree of Urbanisation is a method to delineate cities, towns, suburbs and rural areas for international statistical comparison. It has been adopted by the 51st Statistical Commission of the United Nations. This training provides the necessary background to apply independently the Degree of Urbanisation method. We offer a multi-level learning experience across the various aspects of the Degree of Urbanisation, to help understanding what it is and how it can be applied to your own data. Applications include Sustainable Development Goals monitoring and breakdown by urbanisation class, disaster risk management, environmental and climate investigations, demography, development and cooperation.

Target audience

Statisticians, geographers, digital cartography technicians, administrative officers in the spatial planning domain, policy makers in territorial planning at national and subnational levels. Researchers in the domain of Earth Observation may also be interested.

The Degree of Urbanisation training course

Status of the dissemination of the Degree of Urbanisation

UN-Habitat together with other UN agencies and the European Commission is committed to disseminating the Degree of Urbanisation worldwide.

The UN, the JRC and partners are conducting dedicated training in many countries and regions, aiming at building the capacity and supporting national statistical systems:

  1. In the local application of the Degree of Urbanisation;
  2. In the production of data on selected SDG 11 indicators (particularly 11.3.1, 11.2.1 and 11.7.1), broken down by Degree of Urbanisation

Success stories from pilot countries are spreading to other countries and the community is growing. The events co-organised with international organisations and partners, include:

  1. An introductory workshop with all relevant technical and policy actors within a region;
  2. Regional workshops targeting multiple countries simultaneously, to stimulate the debate among countries and collects feedback;
  3. Technical advisory workshops at individual country level, to implement the Degree of urbanisation locally;
  4. Continuous virtual support, which includes virtual working sessions with the technical teams on a-need-basis.

Status of the dissemination by country

The map below shows the status of the dissemination of the methodology. Each country is colour coded according to the status of the dissemination.

A table with a summary of the implementation and dissemination activities carried out on a specific country can be viewed by clicking on the country.

Legend:

  • The NSO has mastered the method, but not yet applied it to the national data
  • The NSO has mastered the method and will apply it to the upcoming census results
  • The method has been applied to national data, but the results have not yet been published
  • The method has been applied to national data and the results have been published
  • The method has been applied to national data, the results have been published and
    the NSO has produced some (SDG) indicators by DoU
Disclaimer:
The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the European Union concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
Kosovo: This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
Palestine: This designation shall not be construed as recognition of a State of Palestine and is without prejudice to the individual positions of the Member States on this issue.

The adoption process of the Degree of Urbanisation

UN-Habitat first organised an expert group meeting to discuss this method in Brussels in 2017. The FAO and GSARS have presented the work at several forums that include the 7th International Conference on Agricultural Statistics in 2016, the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Food Security, Agricultural and Rural Statistics in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and at various meetings of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of GSARS. FAO and GSARS have engaged with seven countries to test and discuss in particular the level 2 of the Degree of Urbanisation: Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Malaysia, Pakistan and the USA (GSARS 2018).

The European Commission has discussed this method with Australia, Brazil, Korea, Malaysia, India, South Africa, Turkey, the USA and Uganda. The OECD has organised a bilateral workshop in Uzbekistan and in Kazakhstan in July 2019 and in Moscow in September 2019. It has also discussed this method with Morocco, Tunisia and Vietnam. The World Bank has discussed this work with Haiti, Jordan and Turkey.

This work has also been presented at multiple international conferences. It was presented in a side-event during the last three meetings of the UN Statistical Commission and during the last two meetings of the UN Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM). It was also presented during two UN World Data Forums, two World Urban Forums, the IAOS conference in 2018, the World Statistical Congress in 2017, the OECD World Forum in 2018 and the Inter-Agency Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goals in 2019.

The methodology has been endorsed by the 51st session of the UN Statistical Commission in 2020.