Abstract

The Chennai Metropolitan Area (CMA) is a rapidly evolving region that experiences significant changes in land use patterns over time. Analogous to other Indian cities, these transformations are particularly evident in the periphery of Chennai's urban core, where substantial land use shifts have occurred between 2001 and 2021. These changes were assessed utilizing LANDSAT 7 Thematic Mapper (TM), LANDSAT 5 Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) for the years 2001 and 2011, and LANDSAT 8 (OLI) for 2021. This study employs unsupervised classification to investigate major land use/land cover alterations. Findings indicate that CMA has undergone substantial land use modifications over the past two decades. Notably, there has been a marked decline in open land and vegetation due to extensive reclamation for urban and commercial development. The results demonstrate that the area covered by open land and vegetation decreased by 70.23% and 4.56%, respectively, while the built-up area increased by 56%. The study also identified a pattern of urban expansion primarily along the GST road, OMR road, and Thirupati highway. The research further examines land use changes by creating buffer zones at distances of 500 meters, 1 km, 1.5 km, and 2 km. The detailed analysis, along with the spatio-temporal differentiation maps and tables generated through geospatial data, will be invaluable for understanding the growth dynamics of CMA. This information will also support the decision-making process for local planners, stakeholders, and academicians.