Calculating indicators from global geospatial data sets for benchmarking and tracking change in the urban environment

Global data sets derived from remote sensing, urban sensors, crowdsourcing, or surveys can provide valuable insights on the current state of cities, how cities are changing, and opportunities to improve the urban environment. This technical note discusses methods for using these data in combination with locally meaningful jurisdictional boundaries to calculate local measurements of indicators on several themes—including access to urban amenities, air quality, biodiversity, flooding, climate change mitigation, heat, and land protection and restoration—relevant to urban decision-makers, researchers, and other stakeholders.