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check if it is possible to propose a coherent basis [SHE 04]. After expertise, this
solution has not been retained in this application, because some very specific
national definitions cannot be harmonized with the others. The
top-down
approach
has, therefore, been preferred here (Figure 2.4(b)) by mobilizing information
existing at the scale of the totality of the countries concerned, the
urban
morphological zones
(UMZs)
9
database created from the CORINE land cover
database from the European environment agency [GUE 12, BRE 13].
Figure 2.4.
Harmonization of national databases: two approaches (source: [BRE 12])
Starting from “field” type information (satellite image and photointerpretation)
the CORINE land cover database proposes information of the “categorical
coverage” type (see Chapter 1, section 1.1.3) for land use. The UMZ database is
derived from this information, by extraction and aggregation of the polygons
associated with “built” area
10
categories, including also the infrastructure categories.
This information is then rasterized (with a resolution level of 100 m). Finally, by a
9 http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/data/urban-morphological-zones-2006.
10 http://www.eea.europa.eu/data-and-maps/figures/data/urban-morphological-zones-2000-
umz2000-f1v0.