Decoding the Morphogenesis of Urban Fabric: A Multi-Source Settlement Footprint and Kernel Density-Based Assessment of Built-up Intensification in Bhopal City, India.

Rapid urbanization has transformed the spatial structure of Indian cities, necessitating efficient geospatial approaches for monitoring urban growth and morphology. This study integrates World Settlement Footprint (WSF) and Open Building Footprint (OBF) datasets to assess urban expansion and built-up intensification in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. The research employs remote sensing and GIS techniques to quantify changes in built-up extent and analyze the spatial distribution of building structures within the Bhopal Municipal Corporation area.

The methodological framework combines multi-temporal settlement footprint analysis, building footprint assessment, and Kernel Density Estimation (KDE). WSF datasets for 2015 and 2019 were used to evaluate temporal changes in urban land cover, while OBF data were utilized to characterize building morphology and density distribution. KDE was applied to identify building-density hotspots and patterns of urban development.

The results reveal that Bhopal’s built-up area increased from 82.46 km² in 2015 to 89.82 km² in 2019, representing a net expansion of 7.36 km² and a growth rate of approximately 8.93%. Spatial analysis indicates that urban growth was concentrated primarily in peripheral and suburban areas, reflecting ongoing outward expansion. The OBF dataset identified 138,745 building footprints covering approximately 40.34 km². The mean building footprint size was 290.73 m², while the median footprint size was 143.83 m², indicating the predominance of small- and medium-sized residential structures. KDE analysis revealed high-density building clusters within the central urban core and major residential–commercial corridors, whereas lower-density development was observed toward the urban fringe.

The integration of WSF and OBF datasets demonstrates the value of open geospatial data for understanding urban morphogenesis, built-up intensification, and spatial development patterns. The findings provide important insights for sustainable urban planning, smart city development, and evidence-based decision-making in rapidly urbanizing regions.