• Survey of the potential uses of Earth observation data by local and regional authorities.
• Development of digital surface models (DSMs) for urban areas and the evaluation of the geometric accuracy of the results obtained when compared with surface models derived from aerial photographs.
• Definition and validation of pixel- and object-oriented automatic classification methods for extracting information on urban land cover from data supplied by VHR instruments (QUICKBIRD, IKONOS).
• Development and validation of multi-resolution methods for mapping urban land cover on the sub-pixel scale, based on the use of HR and VHR data.

The research resulted in convincing methodological progress in producing digital surface models, orthorectified images, classifications on the sub-pixel scale, the detailed mapping of impervious surfaces and change detection in an urban environment. Following demonstrator tools and prototypes were developed: digital surface models and geometrically corrected color images for the cities of Ghent and Liege; an inventory of changes in large-scale topographic databases (UrbIS, Brussels) on the basis of VHR satellite data; detailed mapping of impervious surfaces on the sub-pixel scale for Brussels and surrounding area, and the impact evaluation of impervious zones on the runoff in the Woluwe catchment area.