AI maps urban green in 3D to help city planning
Mar 5th 2026
A new AI model fuses top down satellite imagery with ground level Street View photos to give urban foresters a 3D view of trees and green spaces in Washington, D.C., revealing coverage gaps and guiding planning decisions with implications for smart city climate resilience.
- Northeastern researchers developed a deep learning model that combines satellite and Google Street View images to map urban greenery in three dimensions.
- The team analyzed more than 80,000 images covering Washington, D.C.
- The multi scale method lets planners see green space distribution from citywide patterns down to individual trees.
- Results show densely populated areas often have lower tree cover and point to a need for outreach to private landowners.
- The tool can help urban foresters plan expansion, treat trees as critical infrastructure, and support digital twin simulations for climate adaptation.