Guelph creating 3D digital map of street trees to help grow urban canopy

Over the past several weeks, people living in Guelph may have noticed trucks resembling Google Street View vehicles driving through neighbourhoods with large cameras on top.

The trucks are collecting millions of laser measurements of trees alongside streets to create a detailed three-dimensional virtual map of the city’s tree inventory.

It’s part of an effort to improve how the city manages its tree population and support a goal of reaching 40 per cent tree canopy cover by 2070, says Dave Beaton, Guelph’s program manager for forestry and sustainable landscapes.

“Better data leads to better management, which leads to better outcomes for our trees,” Beaton told CBC News in an interview in Royal City Park.

Beaton says Guelph’s existing tree inventory is about 12 years old and has become outdated as trees grow, are removed or newly planted. The new system will provide a more accurate update by capturing precise information about urban trees.

“This isn’t just planning for the next operational year. It’s going to be helping us plan for the next several decades,” Beaton said.

Building a digital city model

The trucks are equipped with mobile LiDAR scanners that collect detailed measurements of trees as they drive through neighbourhoods, including height, trunk diameter, canopy size and location. the trucks also collect information about nearby infrastructure like signs and hydrants.

The project is in partnership with Quebec-based mapping company Jakarto.

Jakarto founder and CEO Felix LaRoche says they’ve carried out similar projects in Cambridge and Burlington.

“While we drive, we collect two million measurements per second to create that highly precise digital twin,” LaRoche said.

The scanning trucks only collect information visible from public roads and do not access to private property. Licence plates are automatically blurred before the data is made available to municipal staff.

The data collected will help identify planting opportunities, improve long-term planning and target areas with lower canopy cover.

Beaton says that within two months, Guelph will have a fully updated inventory and 3D virtual map of the city’s urban trees and public infrastructure.

“That would have taken much longer using a traditional method. It would have involved a lot of driving around and people walking the streets with a clipboard,” Beaton said.

More than just trees

The map, or “digital twin,” is a virtual, engineering-grade model of the city.

“Basically, it’s a replica of the urban environment,” LaRoche said.

Beaton says the map will be “like Google Street View, but with tools,” allowing city staff to take measurements and inspect city infrastructure without needing to physically go out into the field.

“I think that other departments are going to see this as an excellent opportunity for asset management,” Beaton said.

In Cambridge, the same technology is being used for planning and development decisions.

Hardy Bromberg, Cambridge’s general manager of planning and growth, says the city is combining existing aerial 3D mapping data collected last year with new street-level scans to create a more detailed virtual model.

“Planning decisions are often complex and they rely on maps, reports and drawings. It’s really hard to understand what all that means by just reading words and maybe looking at a drawing,” he said.

Bromberg says the added ground-level detail enhances the existing 3D maps, helping the city better visualize how proposed developments fit into surrounding neighbourhoods. The enhanced digital twin is expected to be available for public use this fall.

“It will speed up some of the development proposals and ensure the public is aware of what’s happening in their community,” Bromberg said.

Long-term canopy goal

A city report estimates there are nearly three million trees in Guelph.

The city needs for 3.6 million more trees planted to reach the goal of 40 per cent tree canopy cover by 2070, which was pushed back last year from 2031.

Beaton says the data collected will help speed up tree planting.

“People will be seeing trees going up all over the city. They’ll be seeing natural areas being planted. But we are still a long way,” he said.

Beaton says the project is part of making Guelph “climate resilient.”

“In a time of climate change, people are going to need to have more shade and more cooling,” he said. “We’re trying to get ready for the future.”

WATCH | Guelph using 3D mapping trucks to track urban trees :

Guelph using 3D mapping trucks to track urban trees

A Google Street View-style truck has been spotted in Guelph over the past few weeks, equipped with cameras and laser scanners to build a detailed “digital twin” 3D map of the tree canopy in the two cities. The data, collected by Quebec-based mapping company Jakarto, will help both municipalities better manage their urban forests. CBC K-W’s Diego Pizarro spoke with Guelph forestry program manager Dave Beaton about the project and how this will help Guelph reach its goal of 40 per cent tree canopy coverage by 2070.