1. A method of extracting built-up structures from satellite imagery data, comprising: organizing, using a processor, pixels of an input satellite image into a plurality of components of a first hierarchical data structure, wherein the input image is associated with a geographic area, and wherein each of the components is characterized by a vector of feature elements; constructing, using the processor, a second hierarchical data structure that includes a plurality of hierarchically-arranged nodes, wherein each of the feature elements depends from at least one of the plurality of nodes, and wherein the constructing includes: disposing the feature elements of the vectors of the components of the first hierarchical data structure into a feature space; and recursively partitioning the feature elements in the feature space to create the plurality of hierarchically-arranged nodes of the second hierarchical data structure; deriving training components from the plurality of components of the first hierarchical data structure that indicate built-up and non-built-up structures in the input image using a first reference image data set that is associated with the geographic area; training, with the processor, the second hierarchical data structure with the vector of feature elements of each of the training components for detecting built-up structures; classifying, with the processor and using the trained second hierarchical data structure, the plurality of components of the first hierarchical data structure as identifying built-up structures or non-built-up structures; and mapping components of the plurality of components that identify built-up structures as classified during the classifying step into a resultant image that is associated with the geographic area.