Global spatially explicit modeling of urban growth under diverse SSP-RCP scenarios

We are entering the Anthropocene, a period characterized by widespread urbanization and growing concerns about sustainable development goals. Remotely sensed observations provide valuable insights into historical urban dynamics, but this data is limited to the satellite era. To address this, we employed a cellular automata model along with long-term satellite observations of urban extent to both hindcast urban dynamics from 1870 to 1990 and project future trends from 2020 to 2100 under the diverse Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). Additionally, based on urban form, we estimated the compounded thermal environment within urban areas, driven by both urbanization and climate change, in a spatially explicit manner. The resulting scenario datasets can support interdisciplinary research in areas such as public health and energy consumption.