The Urban Observatory: A Multi-Modal Imaging Platform for the Study of Dynamics in Complex Urban Systems
We describe an “Urban Observatory” facility designed for the study of complex urban systems via persistent, synoptic, and granular imaging of dynamical processes in cities. An initial deployment of the facility has been demonstrated in New York City and consists of a suite of imaging systems—both br...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-04-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/8/1426 |
| _version_ | 1797538556129837056 |
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| author | Gregory Dobler Federica B. Bianco Mohit S. Sharma Andreas Karpf Julien Baur Masoud Ghandehari Jonathan Wurtele Steven E. Koonin |
| author_facet | Gregory Dobler Federica B. Bianco Mohit S. Sharma Andreas Karpf Julien Baur Masoud Ghandehari Jonathan Wurtele Steven E. Koonin |
| author_sort | Gregory Dobler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We describe an “Urban Observatory” facility designed for the study of complex urban systems via persistent, synoptic, and granular imaging of dynamical processes in cities. An initial deployment of the facility has been demonstrated in New York City and consists of a suite of imaging systems—both broadband and hyperspectral—sensitive to wavelengths from the visible (∼400 nm) to the infrared (∼13 micron) operating at cadences of ∼0.01–30 Hz (characteristically ∼0.1 Hz). Much like an astronomical survey, the facility generates a large imaging catalog from which we have extracted observables (e.g., time-dependent brightnesses, spectra, temperatures, chemical species, etc.), collecting them in a parallel source catalog. We have demonstrated that, in addition to the urban science of cities as systems, these data are applicable to a myriad of domain-specific scientific inquiries related to urban functioning including energy consumption and end use, environmental impacts of cities, and patterns of life and public health. We show that an Urban Observatory facility of this type has the potential to improve both a city’s operations and the quality of life of its inhabitants. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:32:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ac28efc3b65f497fa0976c8b24d63bd0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T12:32:12Z |
| publishDate | 2021-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-ac28efc3b65f497fa0976c8b24d63bd02023-11-21T14:33:27ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922021-04-01138142610.3390/rs13081426The Urban Observatory: A Multi-Modal Imaging Platform for the Study of Dynamics in Complex Urban SystemsGregory Dobler0Federica B. Bianco1Mohit S. Sharma2Andreas Karpf3Julien Baur4Masoud Ghandehari5Jonathan Wurtele6Steven E. Koonin7Biden School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USABiden School of Public Policy and Administration, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USACenter for Urban Science and Progress, New York University, New York, NY 11201, USACivil and Urban Engineering, Tandon School of Engineering, New York University; New York, NY 11201, USACenter for Urban Science and Progress, New York University, New York, NY 11201, USACenter for Urban Science and Progress, New York University, New York, NY 11201, USADepartment of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USACenter for Urban Science and Progress, New York University, New York, NY 11201, USAWe describe an “Urban Observatory” facility designed for the study of complex urban systems via persistent, synoptic, and granular imaging of dynamical processes in cities. An initial deployment of the facility has been demonstrated in New York City and consists of a suite of imaging systems—both broadband and hyperspectral—sensitive to wavelengths from the visible (∼400 nm) to the infrared (∼13 micron) operating at cadences of ∼0.01–30 Hz (characteristically ∼0.1 Hz). Much like an astronomical survey, the facility generates a large imaging catalog from which we have extracted observables (e.g., time-dependent brightnesses, spectra, temperatures, chemical species, etc.), collecting them in a parallel source catalog. We have demonstrated that, in addition to the urban science of cities as systems, these data are applicable to a myriad of domain-specific scientific inquiries related to urban functioning including energy consumption and end use, environmental impacts of cities, and patterns of life and public health. We show that an Urban Observatory facility of this type has the potential to improve both a city’s operations and the quality of life of its inhabitants.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/8/1426multi-wavelength imagingimaging data acquisition systemscomplex urban system dynamicshyperspectral imaginginfrared imagingmulti-modal data fusion |
| spellingShingle | Gregory Dobler Federica B. Bianco Mohit S. Sharma Andreas Karpf Julien Baur Masoud Ghandehari Jonathan Wurtele Steven E. Koonin The Urban Observatory: A Multi-Modal Imaging Platform for the Study of Dynamics in Complex Urban Systems Remote Sensing multi-wavelength imaging imaging data acquisition systems complex urban system dynamics hyperspectral imaging infrared imaging multi-modal data fusion |
| title | The Urban Observatory: A Multi-Modal Imaging Platform for the Study of Dynamics in Complex Urban Systems |
| title_full | The Urban Observatory: A Multi-Modal Imaging Platform for the Study of Dynamics in Complex Urban Systems |
| title_fullStr | The Urban Observatory: A Multi-Modal Imaging Platform for the Study of Dynamics in Complex Urban Systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Urban Observatory: A Multi-Modal Imaging Platform for the Study of Dynamics in Complex Urban Systems |
| title_short | The Urban Observatory: A Multi-Modal Imaging Platform for the Study of Dynamics in Complex Urban Systems |
| title_sort | urban observatory a multi modal imaging platform for the study of dynamics in complex urban systems |
| topic | multi-wavelength imaging imaging data acquisition systems complex urban system dynamics hyperspectral imaging infrared imaging multi-modal data fusion |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/8/1426 |
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