Yaoundé and Douala are the two largest metropolises in Cameroon, with each having over 3 million inhabitants in the 2020s. The rapid unplanned urban growth and sprawling phenomena in both cities due to urbanization and industrialization are leading to further damage to the landscapes and making life even more difficult for the city dwellers. The use of geospatial technology by urban planners allows for data analysis and provides vital information which can aid management decisions. This research harnessed geospatial technologies and intensity analysis to assess land change dynamics between 1987–2022 for Yaoundé and 1986–2021 for Douala, Cameroon and predicted the land use and land cover changes by 2035 in both cities. Landsat (TM, ETM⁺ and OLI) were classified using the maximum likelihood classification algorithm to determine the land use changes, and an accuracy assessment was used to validate the results of the classification in both cities. Results show that the built-up areas of Yaoundé increased from 18.9% (5987.61 ha) in 1987 to 58.96% (18719 ha) in 2022, while the built-up areas of Douala grew from 9.83% (8503.47 ha) in 1986 to 24.99% (21611.79 ha) in 2021. Intensity analysis of both cities shows accelerated growth between 2004 and 2022. The results indicate that Yaoundé has a faster urban growth rate than Douala, even though Douala is a larger city and the economic capital of Cameroon. These findings provide vital information to the stakeholders and city planners that will aid in effective and sustainable decision-making. Information in this study will be useful in developing and revising land use policies and planning strategies in both cities.