Date of Award
Summer 8-23-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Geography
Organizational Unit
College of Natural Science and Mathematics, Geography and the Environment
First Advisor
Paul Sutton
Second Advisor
Eric Boschmann
Third Advisor
Uttiyo Raychaudhuri
Fourth Advisor
Jing Li
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
All Rights Reserved.
Keywords
Economic development, Lights, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Sustainability, Urbanization, Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS)
Abstract
Lights at night, captured through satellite remote sensing, have emerged as a powerful proxy for understanding urbanization, economic activity, and global development trends. This dissertation investigates the potential of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Day/Night Band (DNB) nighttime light data as an analytical tool to evaluate the spatiotemporal dynamics of cities, socio-economic patterns, and sustainability indicators from 2015 to 2023. The study spans three integrated chapters.
Chapter 3 offers a detailed assessment of over 467 cities with populations exceeding one million, identifying both high and low emitters of nighttime radiance and evaluating global disparities in energy access and urban infrastructure. Chapter 4 models the relationship between nighttime light intensity and key economic indicators—gasoline prices, electricity prices, gross domestic product (GDP), and population—demonstrating that nighttime lights can reflect both macroeconomic behavior and predictive modelling. Chapter 5 explores the intersection between nighttime light emissions and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), positioning light data as a complementary, scalable, and frequently updated alternative to traditional indicators in measuring urban sustainability, energy access, and quality of life.
The results show that while higher radiance often signals economic vitality, it can also reflect unsustainable energy consumption and light pollution. On the contrary, low emissions may indicate infrastructural underdevelopment or energy poverty. This dissertation argues that nighttime lights offer a nuanced and scalable measure of development—one that must be interpreted in context. The findings provide valuable insights for urban planners, development practitioners, and sustainability researchers seeking to understand the illuminated pulse of urban change in the Anthropocene.
Copyright Date
8-2025
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Namrata Chatterjee
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
140 pgs
File Size
2.7 MB
Recommended Citation
Chatterjee, Namrata, "Lights at Night: Indicators of Urbanization, Socio-economic Changes, and Sustainability Progress" (2025). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2615.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/2615
Included in
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