Analysis of Urbanization Dynamics Using Remote Sensing Data: A Case Study of Algiers, Algeria (2015-2025)

According to the UN, over 56% of the global population lives in urban areas, a figure projected to reach 68% by 2050. While driven by population growth and rural exodus, poorly managed urbanization leads to informal settlements, social inequalities, pollution, and severe environmental degradation. Addressing these challenges requires sustainable, balanced urban policies and national strategies, such as Algeria’s PNAT 2030.

This study analyzes urbanization dynamics and their environmental impacts in Algiers, Algeria, between 2015 and 2025. The monitoring is conducted across both the entire Wilaya of Algiers and its individual municipalities. Algiers serves as a critical case study due to its rapid peripheral expansion—heavily driven by public housing programs (AADL, LPP)—which has resulted in urban fragmentation, infrastructure saturation, and heightened environmental risks.

Methodologically, this research utilizes Landsat and Sentinel-2 remote sensing data to monitor and anticipate urban changes. By deriving physical parameters and spectral indices, we analyze land cover transformations. The results reveal intense urban expansion in the southern and eastern peripheries of the capital, often lacking coherent integration with transport networks or socio-economic infrastructure. Furthermore, this uncontrolled growth has led to a decline in environmental quality, marked by progressive deforestation in several neighborhoods, rising land surface temperatures, and significant thermal disparities.

Ultimately, this study provides a vital decision-making tool for spatial planning stakeholders and offers a scientific contribution to debates on urban sustainability in Algeria.