Greentech LIVE Conference: Speaker Sebastian Klemm from Trees AI focuses on tree planting and city planning with AI
Trees are needed in the heat islands of cities to guarantee the health of the environment and people. TreesAI helps with planning and decisions through AI-supported analysis.
City trees as an important part of the urban infrastructure
City trees are more important than most people may realize. They provide shade, oxygen suppliers, natural “air conditioning systems,” noise reducers and habitat. However, without proper care and sensible placement of the trees, their effectiveness can be limited.
The international organization TreesAI, an initiative of Dark Matter Labs and Lucid Minds AI, has taken on the problem. She wants to help cities tackle the whole thing in a well-founded manner.
“We have a kit of methods and tools that we are gradually developing. There are data-driven tools in there to support informed decisions,” explains Sebastian Klemm from TreesAI and Dark Matter Labs.
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Location-specific analyzes based on existing data
As the name of the initiative suggests, it is primarily about Trees As Infrastructure – the green infrastructure of mostly cities and municipalities. TreesAI is already widely positioned in other countries; in Germany, the Baden-Württemberg state capital Stuttgart is now serving as a pilot project.
The specific procedure is individually adapted to the cities, because first of all a location-specific assessment is carried out in the process. To do this, they overlay the city’s existing inventory data in the form of, for example, heat island mapping, heavy rain mapping and social indicators such as the locations of schools or care facilities.
The information is used to create impact chains that take a close look at which stress factors for the trees need to be taken into account. Together with the city, they add weightings. Ultimately you get a display with factors marked in color. This is intended to provide guidance as to where the city can start.
Greentech LIVE Conference Trees AI GreenCity AI Tree Plants City Planning Sebastian Klemm
AI-supported software develops green urban scenarios
“Then we start building scenarios. Based on the site assessment, there is a calculation of environmental performance, there is open source software developed by us and Lucid Minds AI,” Klemm continues regarding the process flow.
The move is called Green Urban Scenarios. The software gives TreesAI a double meaning because it works with AI – artificial intelligence.
Greentech LIVE Conference: Speaker Sebastian Klemm from Trees AI focuses on tree planting and city planning with AI
Effects of heavy rain and care levels on trees in cities
The software lets you import files with tree data. City employees can then change variables themselves to understand the effects of heavy rain or drought.
It is also important that the results of different tree care levels can be set.
“What it’s about is showing what relevance the care service has in order to also show the added value of the costs involved in tree care,” emphasizes Klemm.
Greentech LIVE Conference: Speaker Sebastian Klemm from Trees AI focuses on tree planting and city planning with AI
TreesAI focuses on maintaining green infrastructure
In addition to new planting, the focus is on preserving the existing greenery. The information provided by TreesAI’s software provides urban decision-makers such as planning, gardening and forestry departments with data-supported chains of reasoning.
Klemm says: “We need information in the form of data so that we can scientifically prove that this appreciation and corresponding action are being taken.”
Greentech LIVE Conference: Speaker Sebastian Klemm from Trees AI focuses on tree planting and city planning with AI