The GHSL data and tools are applied to the monitoring the implementation of international frameworks and for sustaining scientific research requiring consistent and open planetary data.

This section will provide showcases of the main GHSL applications.

Global Definition of Cities and Settlements (2017)
The GHSL is the common baseline data used for testing alternative operationalization of urban vs. rural definition, contributing to a global people-based concept that is under discussion to be presented at the UN statistical commission

Spatiotemporal activity and population mapping in Europe (ENACT) (2018)
The GHSL tools applied to European data demonstrate the capacity to produce monthly and night/day maps of population density. Such maps are requested for example for crisis management.