A Photogrammetric Analysis on the Progress of Urban Sprawl in Ho Chi Minh City and Implications on Transportation

Abstract

This study implemented a photogrammetric analysis of aerial images to analyze the progress of expanding residential built land in Ho Chi Minh City’s core area. It found that during 1985–2020 the built-up area of the urban core expanded approximately 15.75 times with high population displacement from other localities. Consequently, the urban sprawl index of the city increased from 7.38 km square/mil. in 1985 to 49.07 km square/mil. in 2020, which represents a growth of approximately 6.6 times. The sprawl, coupled with an increasing population spreading more and more across many districts, has put additional pressure on the city’s transportation infrastructure, leading to more reliance on private mode use and resulting in a growth trap for bus services.