Evaluating environmental influences of zoning in urban ecosystems with remote sensing

The influence of zoning on Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and radiant surface temperature (T_s) measurements is investigated in the City of Indianapolis, IN, USA using data collected by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) remote sensing system. Analysis of variance indicates statistically significant differences in mean T_s and NDVI values associated with different types of zoning. Multiple comparisons of mean T_s and NDVI values associated with specific pairings of individual zoning categories are also shown to be significantly different. An inverse relationship between T_s and NDVI was observed across the city as a whole and within all but one zoning category. A range of environmental influences on sensible heat flux and urban vegetation was detected both within and between individual zoning categories. Examples for implementing these findings in urban planning applications to find examples of high and low impact development are demonstrated.