Two Decades (2000–2020) Measuring Urban Sprawl Using GIS, RS and Landscape Metrics: a Case Study of Municipality of Prishtina (Kosovo)

Since the appearance on Earth, human has been constantly operating in nature, exploiting its riches, but also adapting it to its own needs. Both developing and developed countries are constantly concerned about the urbanization process. Urbanization, in order to be positive, must be developed correctly. If such a thing does not happen, then this development will negatively affect both the environment and human health. In order to develop adequate strategies and policies for the most sustainable and effective land use management, it is necessary to quantify, monitor, determine the factors that have influenced this change in land use and the spread mapping of the urban environment. In this study, Landsat satellite images were used to determine the spatial-temporal characteristics of the urban sprawl environment in the Municipality of Prishtina for a period of 20 years (2000-2020). To map the land cover for Prishtina from 2000 to 2020, the Supervised maximum likelihood classification was used using the Landsat ETM + and OLI data archives in ArcGIS 10.5 software. Using landscape metrics and detection techniques after the classification of satellite images, enabled and assisted in the evaluation and analysis of trends and patterns of urban sprawl. The determination of the changes and the analysis made revealed that during the period 2000-2020, in Prishtina, there was an increase of the built areas by 16.46 km2 at the expense of the unbuilt areas. That there has been an increase in urban areas was also confirmed by the results of landscape metrics.