Urban expansion in Shanghai, China

Urban expansion in Shanghai, China

April 23, 1984 - July 20, 2016

Shanghai epitomizes China’s urbanization trend over the last four decades. Its population doubled from 12 million in 1982 to 24 million in 2016. Analysis of satellite imagery found that the city’s area ballooned from 119 square miles (308 square kilometers) in 1984 to 503 square miles (1,302 square kilometers) in 2014. As concrete replaced forests and farmland during that period, creating an urban heat island effect, Shanghai saw an 81 percent increase in area affected by higher temperatures. In these images, developed areas appear gray and white; farmland and forests are green; shallow, sediment-filled water is tan.

Images taken by Landsat 5 and 8. Source: NASA Earth Observatory.

Source: NASA

Region: Asia

Country: China