Change Detection Analysis for Urban Development in Bucharest-Romania, using High Resolution Satellite Imagery

The evolution of Bucharest during the last 40 years showed spectacular changes, as a result of the socialist urban policy. The paper investigates the leading transformation of the urban structures, comparing declassified intelligence imagery (2002) CORONA KH 7 (0.60-1.20 m spatial resolution) from 1966 and IKONOS pansharpened image from 2002 (1 m spatial resolution). We tried to use an image segmentation algorithm to automatically classify the changes in urban structures. Poor results were obtained as a result of the image geometry, altered radiometry and blur "band stripes" induced by the scanning process of the original film. Imagery interpretation and field observations were applied on three case studies: Palace of Parliament, the so called "People's House", Titan district, Piata Sudului-Berceni area, superposing on the most transformed areas. A large area of old houses disappeared especially on the place of the huge Palace of Parliament where half of the historical centre was replaced by block of flats, some old churches disappeared or moved etc. Big block of flats quarters appeared on fallow ground to the edge of Bucharest, some of them, like Titan district, had replaced the old small houses districts.