The urban landscape refers to the biological, physical and social components that are specific to a geographical area or city. As the majority of the world’s population is concentrated in urban environments it is vitally important to understand and examine the growing number of challenges and risks to society that cities face. These can include issues pertaining to crime, health, migration, land ownership, pollution, governance, and inequality, among numerous others, as well as their linkages in an urban setting. In addition, the role of Urban Green Spaces is key in both contributing to biodiversity, and to the ability of biodiversity to support both climate mitigation and adaptation in cities.  Research in the Department aims to critically examine these, and other issues affecting the urban landscape and our place in it, and include the following: 

• Building properties (footprint, roof planes, facades) extraction in urban areas
• Geospatial data needs for informal settlement upgrading Inequalities in access to healthcare facilities 
• Socio-spatial changes related to student geographies 
• Spatial assessment and monitoring of Urban Green Spaces/ Biodiversity and their interaction with land surface temperature variability (e.g., urban heat island) 
• Spatial examination of crime risk 
• Street addressing in cities 
• Urban and neighbourhood change in the post-apartheid city 
• Urban air pollution

Staff involved include Dr Adedayo Adeleke, Prof Serena Coetzee, Prof Gregory Breetzke, Prof Rebecca Garland, Dr JJ Gregory, Mr Samy Katumba,  Prof Abel Ramoelo