Nearmap and The Spatial Distillery Co. help councils go green

Geospatial data solutions provider The Spatial Distillery Co. has announced it partnered with location intelligence company Nearmap to help local governments transform high-resolution aerial data into actionable greening strategies.

Across Australia, councils have been using Nearmap high-resolution aerial imagery and AI-powered location intelligence to address the growing challenges of climate resilience, livability and sustainable urban planning. But data alone doesn’t drive change — it needs to be translated into strategy.

The Spatial Distillery Co. applies its data capabilities to Nearmap datasets to create tree canopy benchmark dashboards and comprehensive canopy reports — giving councils a powerful, data-backed foundation for their greening initiatives.

“Urban greening is no longer optional — it’s essential,” said Nigel Lester, CEO of The Spatial Distillery Co. “Our partnership with Nearmap means councils can go from seeing the problem to solving it, with AI-powered insights that are clear, current and actionable.”

Urban greening enhances livability, reduces heat stress, improves air quality and boosts community wellbeing, and effective strategies require accurate, up-to-date, spatially detailed data.

The partnership means that councils receive:

• a comprehensive benchmark tree canopy report, which offers a detailed baseline of tree canopy coverage across the city — including trends, change analysis, future projections and carbon capture estimates;
• AI-powered canopy and vegetation maps, which automatically detect tree coverage, turf, bare soil and other vegetation types using frequently updated Nearmap imagery and machine learning; and
• augmented analysis, combining vegetation, heat, and demographic data to inform targeted greening policies and address specific community needs.
   

“The combination of Nearmap data and The Spatial Distillery Co.’s analytics expertise gives councils a practical path to accelerate urban greening,” said Vib Chakraborty, Strategic Alliances and Partnerships Manager – ANZ at Nearmap. “Together, we’re enabling data-driven decisions for healthier, more resilient cities.”

Image credit: iStock.com/mikulas1