A compendium of urbanisation dynamics in 239 countries
The Atlas of the Human Planet 2019 presents key human settlements and urbanisation statistics for 239
countries based on the progress made towards the development of a people-based global harmonised
definition of cities and rural areas. Figures and statistics presented in the Atlas 2019 are the result of
massive automatic big data processing carried out at the European Commission Directorate General Joint
Research Centre in the framework of the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) combining satellite imagery
and census information to map settlements, understand their characteristics, and report about their changes
over 40 years’ time (1975 – 2015).
The Atlas explains the fundamentals of the GHSL, and the service it provides to upscale to the globe the
Degree of Urbanisation method (currently adopted as European Union Regulation). Based on the global
application of the method the Atlas presents a global urbanisation brief, a commented series of highlights on
global human settlement development trajectories, supported by 239 urbanisation briefs, which form the
knowledge base for the next generation of urban and territorial policy, development and cooperation action,
and global reporting on progress made towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030
Development Agenda as a whole.
CARNEIRO FREIRE Sergio Manuel;
CORBAN Christina;
EHRLICH Daniele;
FLORCZYK Aneta;
KEMPER Thomas;
MAFFENINI Luca;
MELCHIORRI Michele;
PESARESI Martino;
SCHIAVINA Marcello;
TOMMASI Pierpaolo;
Carneiro Freire, S., Corban, C., Ehrlich, D., Florczyk, A., Kemper, T., Maffenini, L., Melchiorri, M., Pesaresi, M., Schiavina, M. and Tommasi, P., Atlas of the Human Planet 2019, EUR 30010 EN, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2019, ISBN 978-92-76-17418-9, doi:10.2760/014159, JRC118979.
2019-12-20
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC118979
978-92-76-17418-9 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 30010 EN,
OP KJ-1A-30010-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC118979,
10.2760/014159 (online),
