authority: folia
slug: built-up-area
name: Built-Up Area
domain: anthroposphere
subdomain: urban
authority_id: folia:built-up-area
aliases:
  - built-up
  - settlement-extent
external_ids:
  cf_standard_name: null
canonical_units: "1"
external_validations:
  product:
    id: ghsl-built
    docs_url: https://human-settlement.emergency.copernicus.eu/ghs_built.php
  product_alt:
    id: wsf-2019
    docs_url: https://geoservice.dlr.de/web/maps/eoc:wsf2019
  product_alt2:
    id: esa-worldcover-built-up
    docs_url: https://esa-worldcover.org/
  stac:
    extension: raster
    field: raster:bands
    docs_url: https://github.com/stac-extensions/raster
description: |
  Fractional (0-1) or binary coverage of built-up surface per pixel,
  capturing the spatial extent and morphology of human settlements.
  Flagship products: GHSL BUILT (Copernicus, multi-epoch back to 1975,
  10 m / 100 m), WSF 2019 (DLR World Settlement Footprint, 10 m binary),
  and the "Built-up" class (code 50) in ESA WorldCover 10 m. Distinct
  from `impervious-surface` (which measures physical impermeability —
  some built-up classes such as sparse rural housing are not fully
  impervious) and from `population` (which counts inhabitants). Urban
  Areas is a candidate but not-yet-adopted GCOS ECV in the 2022
  Implementation Plan, so this concept ships parentless in the
  operational tier and migrates to the framework tier if/when GCOS
  ratifies the variable.
theme: infrastructure
consumed_by: []
produced_by: []
demos: []
status: documented
sources:
  - https://human-settlement.emergency.copernicus.eu/ghs_built.php
  - https://geoservice.dlr.de/web/maps/eoc:wsf2019
  - https://esa-worldcover.org/
  - https://github.com/stac-extensions/raster