Calculating Indicators From Global Geospatial Data Sets for Benchmarking and Tracking Change in the Urban Environment

The document outlines a methodology for calculating urban indicators using open-source geospatial data and zonal statistics, enabling cities to benchmark their performance against global goals like the Sustainable Development Goals.

• The methodology utilizes geospatial analysis and zonal statistics applied to published geospatial datasets and city boundaries to create comparable indicators for any urban area on Earth, primarily relying on open-source data to ensure low-cost replication and scaling.
• The indicators are designed to help urban policymakers and civil society perform internal city assessments, compare themselves with other cities, and measure progress against self-defined metrics or global benchmarks, specifically the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The indicators cover several urban environment themes, including biodiversity, flooding, heat, air quality, access to urban amenities, land protection and restoration, and climate change mitigation.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Calculating Indicators From Global Geospatial Data Sets for Benchmarking and Tracking Change in the Urban Environment. https://www.wri.org/research/calculating-indicators-global-geospatial-datasets-urban-environment

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Calculating Indicators From Global Geospatial Data Sets for Benchmarking and Tracking Change in the Urban Environment. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/calculating-indicators-global-geospatial-datasets-urban-environment.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Calculating Indicators From Global Geospatial Data Sets for Benchmarking and Tracking Change in the Urban Environment |url=https://www.wri.org/research/calculating-indicators-global-geospatial-datasets-urban-environment |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendcalculating, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Calculating Indicators From Global Geospatial Data Sets for Benchmarking and Tracking Change in the Urban Environment}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/calculating-indicators-global-geospatial-datasets-urban-environment}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }