Visual Aerial Photograph Testure Discrimination for Delineating Homogeneous Residential Sectors: An Instrument for Urban Planners

摘要

A method is given for the definition of a geographical reference system to be used by planners in urban residential area analysis. The purpose of the method is to exploit, in the diagnosis, the spatial component of the town which is the concrete result of the interactions between its physical and social elements. The assumptions made are: (1) the urban residential areas in Brazilian towns are extremely differentiated as a result of the social stratification existent in the country; (2) there is a strong association between physical aspects of these areas and the socioeconomic characteristics of their resident population. The method recognizes the use of panchromatic aerial photographs at a scale of 1:10000 for the delimitation of homogeneous residential sectors. The procedures described are based on the human visual capability to descriminate different textures. In order to test its validity, survey data obtained through its application to Sao Jose dos Campos, SP, Brazil, were analysed using cluster analysis technique. The results of the work showed that photointerpretation may be usefully applied for delineating homogeneous residential urban sectors.