Evaluation of the Impact of Metro Stations on Land Use Dynamics and Urban Development Using Drone and GIS Technologies: A Case Study of Pune Metro Corridor

Abstract

Rapid urbanization in Indian metropolitan regions has intensified the demand for efficient and sustainable public transportation systems. Metro rail projects, while primarily designed to enhance urban mobility, also play a significant role in restructuring land use patterns and shaping urban development. This study evaluates the impact of metro stations on land use dynamics and urban growth using an integrated Drone (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle – UAV) and Geographic Information System (GIS) framework. The Pune Metro Corridor is selected as a case study to analyze spatial and temporal changes in land use and land cover (LULC) before and after metro implementation. High-resolution UAV imagery, supported by satellite data and cadastral maps, was processed using GIS-based techniques such as supervised classification, buffer analysis, change detection, and regression modeling. The results indicate a substantial increase in built-up and commercial land use within 500 m of metro stations, accompanied by a decline in open land and vegetation cover. A strong inverse correlation between distance from metro stations and development intensity confirms metro accessibility as a key driver of urban transformation. The study highlights the effectiveness of UAV–GIS integration for high-resolution urban monitoring and provides planning insights to support sustainable transit-oriented development in rapidly growing cities.

Introduction

Urban transportation infrastructure, particularly metro rail systems, plays a critical role in shaping city development, land use, and urban form. Indian cities face challenges like congestion, environmental degradation, and inefficient land use due to rapid urbanization. Metro systems address these issues by improving accessibility, reducing travel time, and promoting Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), which increases land value, encourages commercial and residential densification, and fosters compact urban growth.

Key Points:

1. Impact of Metro on Urban Development:

   • Metro stations act as high-accessibility nodes, driving land-value appreciation and urban intensification.

   • TOD promotes efficient land use, walkability, and mixed-use development.

   • Economic effects include increased property demand and altered land-use composition.

2. Research Gap:

   • Most prior studies rely on medium-resolution satellite imagery and focus on economic valuation rather than micro-level spatial-temporal land-use changes.

   • Few Indian studies, especially on the Pune Metro, use integrated UAV–GIS frameworks for detailed analysis.

3. Study Area:

   • Focused on the Vanaz–Ramwadi corridor of Pune Metro, Maharashtra.

   • Selected stations (Vanaz, Nal Stop, Garware College) represent diverse urban contexts—residential, commercial, and institutional zones.

   • Buffer zones of 500 m, 1 km, and 1.5 km were used to assess immediate and extended metro influence, aligned with TOD principles.

4. Data and Methods:

   • Primary Data: High-resolution UAV imagery for centimeter-level spatial accuracy to detect fine-scale urban changes.

   • Secondary Data: Satellite images, metro alignment maps, cadastral/zoning maps, road networks, and demographic data integrated in GIS.

   • Spatial-temporal analysis involved photogrammetry, supervised classification for land-use categories (residential, commercial, industrial, vegetation, open land), buffer analysis, and regression modeling to assess metro influence.

5. Anticipated Results:

   • Significant increase in built-up and commercial land, particularly within 500 m of stations.

   • Residential densification and conversion of vacant land into mixed-use developments near metro stations.

   • Decrease in vegetation and open spaces near stations (NDVI decline), with relatively higher vegetation at greater distances.

   • 3D UAV-derived Digital Surface Models expected to show vertical densification and increased building heights.

   • Regression analysis anticipated to confirm a strong inverse relationship between distance from stations and development intensity, validating metro accessibility as a key driver of urban transformation.

6. Significance:

   • UAV–GIS integration enables detailed, micro-level monitoring of land-use changes.

   • Findings support evidence-based planning, sustainable metro-led development, and TOD implementation in rapidly urbanizing Indian cities.

Conclusion

The study concludes that the Pune Metro has a significant influence on surrounding urban land-use patterns, promoting increased built-up density, commercial activity, and mixed-use development within proximity to metro stations. The integration of UAV and GIS technologies enables high-resolution, micro-scale analysis of these transformations, revealing spatial trends that are often overlooked by conventional methods. The findings are anticipated to confirm metro accessibility as a key driver of transit-oriented development, while also highlighting the need for planned zoning controls and environmental safeguards to ensure sustainable and balanced urban growth along the Pune Metro Corridor.

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Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Anshul Agrawal, Dr. Ashwini Patil. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.