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Technology&more
An eCognition-based UTC has also been a core source of
intelligence for Casey Trees, a tree advocacy organization in
Washington, D.C that is striving to help the District achieve a
40-percent tree canopy goal by 2032.
From its peak of 50 percent in 1950, the former "City of Trees"
has lost 2.5 percent of its tree canopy every decade. Based on
the UTC assessment, Washington's tree coverage is 36 percent,
but its impervious surface coverage is 41 percent. The District
aims to rectify this inequity.
To achieve D.C.'s tree canopy target, existing trees need to be
preserved and new trees must be planted—216,300 total or
8,600 trees annually. Aided by the UTC analysis data, Casey
Trees, in partnership with government groups, have planted
more than 48,400 trees since 2008, and devised maintenance
strategies to protect its existing green landscape.
Although Boulder, New York, Pittsburgh and Washington D.C.
all came to the tree-canopy table with diverse needs and goals,
they are united in the benefits they glean from having UTC
baselines; UTC baseline data enables each city to continually
measure how well their green initiatives are helping them
create a more resilient landscape.
Detailed, accurate UTC datasets not only provide planners
with the tools they need to devise efficient, tactical greening
strategies to maintain and better their canopies, they can help
to strengthen the city's overall resilience against future shocks
and stresses. That's smart.
See feature in Apogeo Spatial's June issue: www.apogeospatial.com
New York City's Post Avenue in 2008 (left) and in 2012 (right) after tree planting.
An eCognition-based map showing Pittsburgh's tree canopy coverage.
Tree Pittsburgh's goal is to extend the city's canopy cover by
20 percent over the next 20 years.
