Optimising urban green spaces with AI: New "EcoTwin" research project started

Challenge: Climate change and its impact on urban green spaces

Two global megatrends - increasing urbanisation and climate change - are leading to a mutually reinforcing stress situation that poses considerable challenges for urban areas. Both the increase in heat waves and extreme drought as well as the dangers posed by heavy and continuous rainfall cannot be averted without sustainable land management.

Urban green spaces play a key role in mitigating these effects by providing cooling and water storage functions while promoting biodiversity. However, their effective utilisation is highly dependent on the specific characteristics of individual areas. It is therefore crucial to develop customised, data-based solutions that meet the diverse requirements and conditions of urban green spaces.

"In North Rhine-Westphalia, the data basis for climate and disaster prevention measures is excellent. As a result, there is no lack of data or techniques for collecting relevant environmental data, but rather a lack of data processing, interpretation and visualisation in order to implement concrete climate adaptation measures on the ground," says project manager Professor Martin Hamer

Objective: Smart management of urban green spaces

The main objective of "EcoTwin" is therefore to optimise the use of urban green spaces through the use of a digital twin. The digital twin is intended to provide environmental and green space authorities as well as climate managers with precise data and recommendations for action based on the specific characteristics of the green spaces. Citizens are also involved and can actively contribute to the maintenance and improvement of their private green spaces.

The project is a cooperation with the Cologne University of Applied Sciences, the Interessengemeinschaft Grenzüberschreitende Integrierte Qualitätssicherung e.V. (GIQS) and RF-Frontend GmbH.