Table 1 Relationship between observed data gaps, data features, design principles and solutions adopted for the production of GHS-UCDB.
Data gaps | Features | Principles | GHS-UCDB solutions |
|---|---|---|---|
Semantic clarity and consistency | Definition | 1. Standardized definition of the AOI | Urban centres obtained by the application of the Degree of Urbanisation Method – GHS-SMOD dataset |
Thematic and geographic completeness | Coverage | 2. Consistent global mapping | Global geographical coverage, 13,135 entries with population ≥50,000 inhabitants in 2015 |
Spatial representation | 3. Spatially explicit delineation of cities | Geospatial representation with extents at 1 km grid cell resolution (polygons), and centroid XY location (point) | |
Spatial, temporal and thematic resolution | 4. multi-thematic, multi-dimensional, and multi-temporal attributes | Variables across five thematic domains: geography, socio-economic, environmental, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable development goals. Temporal domain spanning 1975–2015 | |
Usability | 5. comparability of information in space and time | Thematic, geographical and semantic consistency |
