Residents in Guelph have likely spotted specialized trucks, similar to Google Street View vehicles, cruising through neighborhoods with prominent cameras atop them in recent weeks. These trucks are on a mission to gather millions of laser measurements of trees lining the streets to craft an intricate three-dimensional virtual map of the city’s tree inventory. According to Dave Beaton, Guelph’s program manager for forestry and sustainable landscapes, this initiative aims to enhance the city’s tree management practices and support the target of achieving a 40 percent tree canopy cover by 2070.
Beaton emphasized the significance of accurate data in ensuring effective tree management practices, leading to favorable outcomes for the city’s trees. He highlighted that the current tree inventory in Guelph, which is approximately 12 years old, has become outdated due to tree growth, removal, and new plantings. The new system will provide precise and updated information on urban trees, facilitating long-term planning for the city.
Utilizing mobile LiDAR scanners, the trucks capture detailed measurements of trees, including height, trunk diameter, canopy size, and location, as they traverse various neighborhoods. Moreover, the trucks gather information about nearby infrastructure such as signs and hydrants. The collaborative project involves Quebec-based mapping company Jakarto, as mentioned by its founder and CEO, Felix LaRoche, who highlighted the precision achieved by collecting two million measurements per second during the scanning process.
Importantly, the scanning trucks only record information visible from public roads and do not intrude on private property. Before being accessed by municipal staff, license plates are automatically blurred in the data. The collected data will aid in identifying planting opportunities, enhancing long-term planning, and targeting areas with insufficient canopy cover within the city.
Beaton anticipates that within two months, Guelph will possess an updated inventory and a 3D virtual map of the city’s urban trees and public infrastructure. This swift update process, as Beaton mentioned, contrasts with the traditional method, which would have required extensive manual efforts.
Advancing with a digital city model
The digital map, often referred to as a “digital twin,” represents an engineering-grade virtual model of the city. LaRoche compared it to a replica of the urban environment, highlighting the practical applications for city staff to conduct measurements and inspect infrastructure without physical field visits.
Beaton envisioned broader applications of the map beyond tree management, emphasizing its utility for asset management across various city departments. In Cambridge, a similar technology is being leveraged for planning and development purposes, combining aerial 3D mapping data with new street-level scans to enhance the visualization of proposed developments within neighborhoods.
Looking towards the long-term goal of achieving a 40 percent tree canopy cover by 2070, Guelph estimates nearly three million trees currently exist within the city. To accomplish this goal, an additional 3.6 million trees need to be planted. Beaton underscored that the gathered data will expedite tree planting efforts