Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Urban and Natural Areas in the Northern Littoral Zone of Rome: Land-Cover Change Analysis During the Last Thirty Years. Preliminary Results

Pollino, Maurizio; Lodato, Francesco; Colonna, Nicola

The present study is focused on the littoral zone between Rome and Civitavecchia, where the spatio-temporal dynamics of the land cover has been analysed during the last thirty years, by means of Remote Sensing and GIS procedures. In a few decades, the coastal municipalities within the study area have considerably increased their inhabitants. Population and urban expansion have grown in parallel, at the expense of agricultural and natural areas, especially in the narrow coastal strip between the sea and the hills. Landsat satellite data from 1990 to 2019 have been processed and classified in order to describe and map the Land-Cover change (LCc). Maps have been suitable integrated with population data and other geospatial layers (transportation network). The results obtained allowed to understand the natural and rural land transformations, especially those related to the urban growth and expansion that are related to the proximity of Rome City.