# Land use change detection with satellite data Comparing satellite images of the same area over time shows where fields and open land have become roads, buildings and car parks. Copernicus layers map sealed ground at 10 m across Europe and land use in larger cities in detail, so a region can measure land take, follow urban expansion and check new development against its plans. ## Why land take matters Every new road, roof and car park seals soil. The EU aims for no net land take by 2050 [8], and regions and municipalities need to know how much land they take and where. Sealed ground also changes how a city copes with weather: less rainwater soaks away, which raises surface runoff and flood risk, and urban expansion and densification often contribute to urban heat islands [2]. Land take is therefore part of heat and heavy-rain planning, not only of land use statistics. ## How it works Change detection compares images of the same area from two or more dates and marks what has changed, for example from field or meadow to sealed or built-up land. **Figure:** Illustrative comparison, not real data. Earlier: open land and fields at the edge of a town. Later: the same parcels with new streets, roofs and car parks. **Before:** Earlier **After:** Later Sentinel-2 is used to map green urban areas and urban sprawl and to classify land use [7]. The Copernicus Land Monitoring Service provides three ready-made layers that differ in detail and coverage: - **Imperviousness:** the share of sealed ground at 10 m across Europe, derived from Sentinel-2 and updated every three years [1]. - **Urban Atlas:** land use in nearly 800 European cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants, with a minimum mapping unit of 0.25 hectares in urban areas, from imagery finer than 5 m [3]. - **CORINE Land Cover:** 44 classes across Europe with a minimum mapping unit of 25 hectares, and change layers that record changes from 5 hectares, updated every six years [4]. Satellite positioning adds the ground truth. Surveying with GNSS, together with Earth observation, provides accurate maps of urban areas for planning [7], for example when a detected change is checked against the cadastre. ## What you get Land use monitoring turns a series of images into numbers and maps that planning and reporting can use. - **Sealing maps and statistics** per municipality or district, for land take indicators and targets. - **Change maps** between two dates that show where and how much land has been built on. - **Expansion patterns** at the edge of towns and along roads, for regional and spatial planning. - **Leads for planning control**, where new structures appear outside of zoned areas. Earth observation can detect illegal buildings [6]. ## Limits **Limits** - **Update cycles:** The ready-made Copernicus layers are updated every three or six years \[1] \[4]. For a current picture, recent images must be analysed directly, which takes more effort. - **Minimum mapping units:** CORINE records changes only from 5 hectares \[4], and the Urban Atlas covers only cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants \[3]. Small plots and small towns need the 10 m imperviousness layer or finer imagery. - **Land use needs further data:** A satellite sees what covers the ground: a roof, asphalt, grass. Whether a building is a home, a shop or a warehouse is land use, which needs additional data such as the cadastre or zoning plans. ## Related use cases - [Monitoring urban green spaces](https://leto.space/use-cases/urban-green-monitoring/): Where a city is green, and how its trees are doing. - [Mapping urban heat islands](https://leto.space/use-cases/urban-heat-islands/): How sealed ground and missing green show up as heat. - [Cities and regions](https://leto.space/cities-and-regions/): All use cases and our consulting for the public sector. ## Find providers and get started Providers offer land cover maps, change detection and monitoring services on top of the free Copernicus layers. The [Spacegraph](https://leto.space/spacegraph/) marketplace has categories for land cover and land use and for change detection. Which layer or service fits depends on the indicator you report, the smallest change you need to see and how often you need an update. We help you decide that before you buy, starting from your planning goals. [Strategy and use cases](https://leto.space/consulting/strategy/) ## Frequently asked questions ### Which satellite data shows land take, and how often is it updated? The Copernicus imperviousness layer maps sealed ground at 10 m from Sentinel-2 data and is updated every three years [1]. CORINE Land Cover describes 44 classes across Europe and is updated every six years [4]. Where a region needs a more recent picture, current Sentinel-2 images can be analysed directly; with two satellites they cover the same place every five days [5]. ### Can satellite data detect building without a permit? It can point to it. Earth observation can detect illegal buildings and help verify cadastral information [6]. A detected change is a lead, not proof: it has to be checked against the permits and, where needed, on site. ### How do we start a pilot for land use monitoring? Start with the indicator you have to report or the plan you want to check, for example land take against a regional target or development at the edge of a town. Then compare what the free Copernicus layers show with your own cadastre and planning data, and decide whether you need more detail or more frequent updates. ## Sources 1. [Imperviousness Density 2018 (raster 10 m and 100 m), Europe, 3-yearly, Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, accessed 2026-10-06](https://land.copernicus.eu/en/products/high-resolution-layer-imperviousness/imperviousness-density-2018) 2. [Copernicus Land Monitoring Service: High Resolution Layer Imperviousness, accessed 2026-10-04](https://land.copernicus.eu/en/products/high-resolution-layer-imperviousness) 3. [Urban Atlas Land Cover/Land Use and Street Tree Layer 2012 and 2018: Product User Manual, Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, accessed 2026-10-06](https://library.land.copernicus.eu/products/Urban_Atlas_Land_Cover-Land_Use_and_Street_Tree_Layer_2012_and_2018_PUM_v6.html) 4. [CORINE Land Cover, Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, accessed 2026-10-06](https://land.copernicus.eu/en/products/corine-land-cover) 5. [Sentinel-2 mission, European Space Agency (ESA), SentiWiki, accessed 2026-10-06](https://sentiwiki.copernicus.eu/web/s2-mission) 6. [EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 1, EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 2026-05-26](https://www.euspa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/EU_Space_Market_Report_2026.pdf) 7. [EU Space Market Report 2026, Issue 1: Urban development and cultural heritage, EU Agency for the Space Programme (EUSPA), 2026-05-26](https://www.euspa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/EU_Space_Market_Report_2026.pdf) 8. [EU Soil Strategy for 2030: Reaping the benefits of healthy soils for people, food, nature and climate, COM(2021) 699 final, European Commission, EUR-Lex, 2021-11-17](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52021DC0699) Page: