Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements (SDG 11) Resources Now Available in GEO Knowledge Hub

New resources including data sets, tools, case studies, and methodologies in support of Sustainable Development Goal 11, Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements, are now available in the Group on Earth Observations Knowledge Hub (GKH). GKH is a central cloud-based digital library providing access to Earth Observations applications developed by the GEO Work Programme Activities.

Teams from both the GKH and the Earth Observations for Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Toolkit (EO Toolkit) worked together to cross-walk EO Toolkit resources and tag applications and files to sort them into Knowledge Resources (individual resources) or Knowledge Packages (individual resources in support of an overall theme). All knowledge resources of a registered EO application are openly shared, curated and organized into a Knowledge Package, including research papers and reports describing methods and results; Software algorithms and cloud computing resources used for processing; In situ and satellite imagery data used and results for verification. The intent of the GKH is to promote the replicability and re-usability of EO Applications by sharing them with end users, but to also provide all of the context and associated Knowledge Resources, including user guides, essential to fully understand and re-use them.

Users can perform thematic searches e.g., “Human Settlements” or “Sustainable Cities”, as well community-based search by GEO Work Programme activity e.g. GEOGLAM. It is also possible to search EO applications linked to the GEO engagement priorities, e.g., SDGs, Paris, Sendai or main international frameworks: e.g., Minamata Convention etc.

The newly listed resources also allow GKH users to interact directly with the Knowledge provider, using the dedicated Question and Answers section to pose specific questions and receive dedicated guidance and support in the process of re-using the EO Application.

About the EO Toolkit for Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements

The Earth Observations Toolkit for Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements is an online knowledge resource, which can serve as a first step for countries and cities interested in applying EO to support their SDG 11 monitoring and urban policy planning and implementation needs. Key toolkit components include guidance about, and links to, relevant EO data sets and tools that can, and already do, support the definition and refinement of SDG 11 indicators, as well as innovative approaches and national or city-level experiences of EO uses for SDG 11 and the New Urban Agenda. The toolkit also aims to facilitate engagement among local communities, cities, national agencies, and EO experts, and promote knowledge sharing and collaboration between cities and countries.