Vertical urban growth monitoring through PSInSAR Stack On-Off model approach: A case study of Wuhan (2015–2024)

Abstract. Monitoring vertical urban growth is crucial for understanding urban development patterns and supporting informed city planning decisions. This study introduces a novel PSInSAR Stack On-Off model approach for efficient monitoring of vertical urban growth, applied to Wuhan, China, using Sentinel-1 data from 2015 to 2024. The methodology streamlines traditional PSInSAR processing by initially focusing on recent imagery for PS point extraction before analyzing the complete temporal stack, significantly reducing computational requirements while maintaining monitoring capabilities. Analysis of the spatial-temporal patterns shows distinct development phases, with 64.81% of structures predating 2015, followed by more targeted development in subsequent periods. The results show significant variations in vertical growth across districts, with Jianghan emerging as the most vertically developed area (mean height 29.4m) and clear correlation between building heights and proximity to the Yangtze River. Three distinct district typologies were identified: High-Intensity Vertical, Mixed-Development, and Horizontal Expansion, reflecting differentiated urban development strategies. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the Stack On-Off approach for monitoring urban vertical growth, providing valuable insights for urban planning and development in rapidly growing metropolitan areas.