The Geography of Development: Insights for Outer Space

Abstract

Regional development studies are vital to understanding the disparities in economic activity, infrastructure, and living standards across regions. Traditional data sources, such as surveys and censuses, though essential, often face limitations in coverage, timeliness, and cost. Consequently, researchers have turned to geospatial technologies and satellite-based observations to gain a more comprehensive and dynamic understanding of regional development patterns. The advent of high-resolution satellite imagery has revolutionised the analysis of development disparities, offering continuous, global, and fine-grained insights into economic and social conditions. Satellite imagery, particularly through the analysis of nighttime lights, provides a powerful proxy for measuring economic activity. The intensity and distribution of these lights correspond closely with levels of economic development, reflecting urbanisation, industrial activity, and infrastructure expansion. This method enables near-real-time monitoring of economic dynamics and reveals the persistence of spatial inequalities.