A global, cloud-native GeoZarr dataset for monitoring settlement dynamics at 10 m resolution. Developed through collaboration between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and MindEarth
A global, cloud-native GeoZarr dataset for monitoring settlement dynamics at 10 m resolution.
The WSF Tracker is a global dataset designed to outline how built-up areas evolve over time. Developed through collaboration between the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and MindEarth, with support from a dedicated initiative of the European Space Agency's (ESA) Global Development Assistance (GDA) programme, the WSF Tracker captures settlement changes worldwide every six months at 10 m resolution since July 2016.
Until now, global settlement maps have largely functioned as static snapshots, capturing where built-up areas existed at a given moment but offering limited visibility into how they evolved over time. The WSF Tracker changes this by creating a continuously updated global record of settlement dynamics.
By analysing satellite observations from the European Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 missions within Google Earth Engine, the dataset provides a spatially detailed and frequently updated picture of built-up area development at a scale that has so far been largely unavailable globally.
This GeoZarr currently contains the wsf_tracker variable and is structured to accommodate additional variables in future releases, including population-related products derived from the same monitoring framework.
The world's built-up footprint is expanding rapidly, but this growth is not occurring uniformly. In many regions, new settlements, infrastructure, and economic activities are increasingly emerging in areas exposed to environmental and geophysical hazards, while elsewhere settlement dynamics reflect reconstruction, displacement, or broader socio-economic change.
Understanding these patterns requires more than a static view of the built environment. Timely information on where settlements emerge and how they evolve is essential for assessing exposure, planning infrastructure and services, supporting disaster risk reduction, and informing policy and development decisions.
The WSF Tracker provides a globally consistent foundation for these analyses, enabling users to combine settlement dynamics with hazard, population, infrastructure, and socio-economic datasets across local, regional, and global scales.
Applications include:
The cloud-native GeoZarr format enables efficient access and analysis at regional to global scales, supporting modern geospatial workflows in both cloud and local computing environments.
[-180, -60.01, 180, 78.01]wsf_tracker: 2016-07-01 to 2026-01-0100 through 12minwsf_trackerwsf_trackerwsf_tracker is an int8 raster encoding the estimated date index at which a pixel is identified as built-up.
0 = no settlement1 to 20 = biannual built-up date indexInterpretation:
This dataset is published as a multiscale GeoZarr pyramid.
0 to access the native-resolution dataset.1 to 12 provide progressively coarser overviews for fast browsing and visualization.min aggregation function.Because the multiscale pyramid uses min aggregation, coarser levels preserve the earliest built-up date index present within each aggregation window. This is useful for visualization and rapid screening, but it is not equivalent to a majority or average representation.
For analysis, statistics, or any interpretation requiring original pixel values, always read from group 0.
y, xpixel1536433 x 4007502https://source.coop/mindearth/wsfhttps://source.coop/mindearth/wsf/World_WSF_20160701-20260101.zarr0 for any quantitative analysis.0 is a nodata value and should not be interpreted as “not built”.wsf_tracker; additional variables may be added in future releases.If you use this dataset, please cite the World Settlement Footprint (WSF) Tracker and acknowledge Mindearth as the data provider.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20424537
Marconcini, M. Understanding Urbanization from Satellite Imagery: The World Settlement Footprint. Google Geo for Good Summit, Singapore, 8–11 September 2025.
Marconcini, M., Metz-Marconcini, A., & Gorelick, N. The WSF Tracker: A Global Lens on Settlement Dynamics. ESA Living Planet Symposium, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 June 2025.
Marconcini, M. Advancements to Monitor Urbanization's Pace. World Bank Land Conference, Washington, D.C., USA, 5–8 May 2025.
Marconcini, M. Monitoring Where Humans Live: The World Settlement Footprint. SatSummit 2024, Washington, D.C., USA, 16–17 May 2024.
Rentschler, Jun; Klaiber, Christoph; Zhu, Mengjue; Marconcini, Mattia. 2026. Urban Expansion and Protection Gaps amid Evolving Flood Exposure. Policy Research Working Paper; 11321. © World Bank. License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.
For scientific and methodological questions:
Mattia Marconcini
MindEarth / DLR
mattia.marconcini@mindearth.ch / mattia.marconcini@dlr.de
ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5042-5176
Anne Annekatrin Metz-Marconcini
annekatrin.metz-marconcini@dlr.de
ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0002-3896-4705
For technical questions about data access and format:
Federico Oldani
MindEarth
federico.oldani@mindearth.ch
General contact point:
MindEarth
https://mindearth.ch/
| 17 |
| 2024-07-01 |
| 18 | 2025-01-01 |
| 19 | 2025-07-01 |
| 20 | 2026-01-01 |