ST-BESA: An open-source low-code platform for global spatio-temporal settlement analytics using google earth engine
SoftwareX, vol.34, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 34
- Publication Date: 2026
- Doi Number: 10.1016/j.softx.2026.102716
- Journal Name: SoftwareX
- Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Compendex, INSPEC, Directory of Open Access Journals
- Keywords: Building volume per capita (BVPC), Degree of urbanisation (DEGURBA), Global human settlement layer (GHSL), Google earth engine, Low-code geospatial analytics, Settlement model (SMOD)
- Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Understanding how the built environment changes in relation to population is central to urban planning, housing policy, and infrastructure investment. Yet many researchers still face technical barriers when using global settlement datasets that require programming expertise and substantial geospatial processing. This paper presents ST-BESA (Spatio-Temporal Built Environment and Settlement Analysis), an open-source, low-code platform that provides a reproducible workflow for analyzing the Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) 2023 in Google Earth Engine. For user-defined administrative units, the platform computes multi-decadal time series of building volume, built-up surface, and population, and derives per-capita and volumetric indicators across DEGURBA/SMOD settlement classes. A Gradio-based interface and companion Google Colab notebook lower installation and programming barriers. The current release supports administrative boundaries for Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, and Türkiye, with additional boundary catalogs in development. Within this current geographic coverage, case studies for İzmir Province, Türkiye, and Berlin, Germany (1975-2030) were chosen to demonstrate the platform’s applicability across contrasting urban contexts, revealing divergent patterns of horizontal expansion, per-capita change, and settlement structure. Because both software and data are openly licensed, the workflow is reproducible and extensible. ST-BESA therefore bridges the gap between global settlement data and researchers who need transparent, policy-relevant summaries without programming expertise. Future development will focus on broader boundary coverage, especially for applications in the Global South.