Exploring structural differences between rural and urban informal settlements from imagery: the basureros of Cobán

Abstract

This study evaluates whether imagery and geospatial-based measures show differences between urban and suburban informal settlements. A secondary focus is to determine if these differences are sufficient to characterize an established urban and a newly forming squatter settlement in a suburban area, and what qualities can help identify such areas that may otherwise be overlooked in standard image or land cover classification of human settlements. Comparing a suburban informal settlement in Cobán and an established urban informal settlement in Guatemala City, Guatemala, the research demonstrates that accessibility measures of roads, their surface texture, and geomorphic properties of curvature and slope are significantly different between the two settlements. The ability to understand informal settlement differences from imagery and geographic information systems (GIS) is an important advantage when household surveys and field work are ineffective or not possible. In addition, such understanding can assist in monitoring emerging squatter settlements with remote sensing methods.

Keywords:

• informal settlements
• road accessibility
• texture
• geomorphology
• rural slums

Notes

1. Conversations and informal field visits with D. Cable, Director of Rural Structures, Partner for Surgery, Guatemala (http://www.partnerforsurgery.org), 2009–2010.