This evaluation of the potential of remote sensing of urban areas helps to close a gap between the research-focused results offered by the "urban remote sensing" community, and the application of these data and products by the governing bodies of cities and urban regions. The authors present data from six urban regions worldwide. They explain what the important questions are, and how data and scientific skills can help answer them.

Despite the promising and exciting possibilities presented by new and fast-developing remote sensing technologies applied to urban areas, there is still a gap perceived between the generally academic and research-focused spectrum of results offered by the urban remote sensing community and the application of these data and products by the local governmental bodies of urban cities and regions. While there is no end of interesting science questions that we can ask about cities, sometimes these questions don't match well with what the operational problems and concerns of a given city are. The authors present data from six urban regions from all over the world. They explain what the important questions are, and how one can use data and scientific skills to help answer them.