JRC Data Catalogue
DATASETCompleted

GHS-BUILT-S2 R2020A - GHS built-up grid, derived from Sentinel-2 global image composite for reference year 2018 using Convolutional Neural Networks (GHS-S2Net) - OBSOLETE RELEASE

QR code

This dataset corresponds to global map of built-up areas expressed in terms of a probability grid at 10 m spatial resolution derived from a Sentinel-2 global image composite (GHS_composite_S2_L1C_2017-2018_GLOBE_R2020A_UTM_10_v1_0) for reference year 2018. It builds on a new Deep Learning framework for pixel-wise large-scale classification of built-up areas named GHS-S2Net (GHS stands for Global Human Settlements, S2 refers to the Sentinel-2 satellite).

Contributors

How to cite

Corbane, Christina; Sabo, Filip; Politis, Panagiotis; Syrris, Vasileios (2026): GHS-BUILT-S2 R2020A - GHS built-up grid, derived from Sentinel-2 global image composite for reference year 2018 using Convolutional Neural Networks (GHS-S2Net) - OBSOLETE RELEASE. European Commission, Joint Research Centre [Dataset] doi: 10.2905/JRC.PKAXH30; 10.2905/016D1A34-B184-42DC-B586-E10B915DD863 PID: http://data.europa.eu/89h/016d1a34-b184-42dc-b586-e10b915dd863

Keywords

Artificial IntelligenceBig DataBuilt-up areasCopernicusGHS-BUILTGHSLGlobalRemote SensingSentinel-2

Data access

TIFF

TIFF – Tagged Image File Format – is a computer file format for storing raster graphics images, popular among graphic artists, the publishing industry and photographers. TIFF is widely supported by scanning, faxing, word processing, optical character recognition, image manipulation, desktop publishing and page-layout applications. The format was created by Aldus Corporation for use in desktop publishing.

Downloadable file

A downloadable file for the dataset.

Use conditions
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

CC BY 4.0 lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the author’s work, even commercially, as long as they credit the author for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licences offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licenced materials.

Access conditions
No limitations

Anybody can directly and anonymously access the data, without being required to register or authenticate.

  • This dataset corresponds to global map of built-up areas expressed in terms of a probability grid at 10 m spatial resolution derived from a Sentinel-2 global image composite (GHS_composite_S2_L1C_2017-2018_GLOBE_R2020A_UTM_10_v1_0) for reference year 2018. It builds on a new Deep Learning framework for pixel-wise large-scale classification of built-up areas named GHS-S2Net (GHS stands for Global Human Settlements, S2 refers to the Sentinel-2 satellite).

    Projection: Local UTM

    Data type: uint 8bit

    Built-up probability values rescaled in the range 0-100

    Nodata value: 255

Other resources

Plain text

Plain text is the data (e.g. file contents) that represent only characters of readable material but not its graphical representation nor other objects. It may also include a limited number of characters that control simple arrangement of text, such as line breaks or tabulation characters. Plain text is different from formatted text, where style information is included, and from ‘binary files’ in which some portions must be interpreted as binary objects (encoded integers, real numbers, images, etc.).

Use conditions
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

CC BY 4.0 lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the author’s work, even commercially, as long as they credit the author for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licences offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licenced materials.

Access conditions
No limitations

Anybody can directly and anonymously access the data, without being required to register or authenticate.

  • GHS_BUILT_S2comp2018_GLOBE_R2020A products technical details

ZIP

ZIP is an archive file format that supports lossless data compression. A ZIP file may contain one or more files or directories that may have been compressed.

Use conditions
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

CC BY 4.0 lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the author’s work, even commercially, as long as they credit the author for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licences offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licenced materials.

Access conditions
No limitations

Anybody can directly and anonymously access the data, without being required to register or authenticate.

  • Tiles schema used to produce the GHS_BUILT_S2comp2018_GLOBE_R2020A

ArcGIS Map Service

Esri's ArcGIS is a geographic information system (GIS) for working with maps and geographic information. Map services offer access to map and layer content.

Use conditions
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International

CC BY 4.0 lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon the author’s work, even commercially, as long as they credit the author for the original creation. This is the most accommodating of licences offered. Recommended for maximum dissemination and use of licenced materials.

Access conditions
No limitations

Anybody can directly and anonymously access the data, without being required to register or authenticate.

  • Web Mapping Service

HTML

HTML is the standard markup language used to create web pages and its elements form the building blocks of all websites.

Access conditions
Registration required

Anybody can access the data, but they have to register first. This corresponds to the notion of "non-discriminatory registration", i.e.: (a) any user can register; (b) any registered user can access the data.

  • Visualization of the layer on JRC Big Data Plaform JEODPP

    (under Products/LandCover)

Publications

Publication
Corbane, C., V. Syrris, F. Sabo, P. Politis, Michele Melchiorri, M. Pesaresi, P. Soille, and T. Kemper. “Convolutional neural networks for global human settlements mapping from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery". Neural Comput & Applic (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00521-020-05449-7
Publication
Corban, C., Syrris, V., Sabo, F., Politis, P., Melchiorri, M., Pesaresi, M., Soille, P. and Kemper, T., Convolutional Neural Networks for global human settlements mapping from Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, NEURAL COMPUTING and APPLICATIONS, ISSN 0941-0643 (online), 33, 2021, p. 6697–6720, JRC120622.
SPRINGER LONDON LTD, ENGLAND
  • Spatially consistent and up-to-date maps of human settlements are crucial for addressing policies related to urbanization and sustainability especially in the era of an increasingly urbanized world. The availability of open and free Sentinel-2 data of the Copernicus Earth Observation programme offers a new opportunity for wall-to-wall mapping of human settlements at a global scale. This paper presents a deep-learning-based framework for a fully automated extraction of built-up areas at a spatial resolution of 10 meters from a global composite of Sentinel-2 imagery. A multi-neuro modelling methodology, building on a simple Convolution Neural Networks architecture for pixel-wise image classification of built-up areas is developed. The deployment of the model on the global Sentinel-2 image composite provides the most detailed and complete map reporting about built-up areas for reference year 2018. The validation of the results with an independent reference dataset of building footprints covering 277 sites across the world, establishes the reliability of the built-up layer produced by the proposed framework and the model robustness. The results of this study contribute to cutting-edge research in the field of automated built-up areas mapping from remote sensing data and establish a new reference layer for the analysis of the spatial distribution of human settlements across the rural-urban continuum.

Spatial coverage

Temporal coverage

From date To date
2017-01-01 2018-12-31

Additional information

Published by
European Commission, Joint Research Centre
Contact email
jrc-ghsl-data (at) ec.europa.eu
Update frequency
irregular

The event occurs at uneven intervals.

Language(s)
English

English is a member of the West Germanic group of the Germanic languages. It is an official language of almost 60 sovereign states and is now a global lingua franca.It is the third-most-common native language in the world and it is widely learned as a second language.

Data theme(s)
Regions and cities

dataset theme covering the domains of regions and cities, where regions is defined by political geography units including sovereign states, subnational administrative areas, and multinational groupings, and cities are characterised as large human settlements

Population and society

dataset theme covering the domains of population and society, where population refers to the total number of people residing within various geographic levels from cities to the global scale, and society denotes a collective of individuals engaged in continuous social interaction within a common territory, often under the same political and cultural norms

Science and technology

dataset theme covering the domains of science and technology, with science being the systematic pursuit of knowledge through testable explanations and predictions across natural, social, and formal disciplines, and technology encompassing the collective techniques, skills, methods, and processes used in producing goods, providing services, or achieving objectives like scientific research

Geographical name(s)
Issued date
2020-10-31
Created date
22 Oct 2020 14:27
Modified date
27 Feb 2025 10:52
Landing page
Dataset identifier
Other identifiers
Rate this page
Please vote (optional).
An unhandled error has occurred. Reload 🗙