AI-Powered Geospatial Analysis for Municipal Decision-Making

Municipalities serve as the foundation of community well-being, entrusted with the vital role of promoting the safety and well-being of residents. However, keeping up with a dynamically changing world is no simple task. Ecopia AI (Ecopia) enables municipalities across the globe to better understand the constantly evolving relationship between people and our planet with high-precision geospatial data.

In today’s digitized world, geospatial data plays a key role in supporting community safety, accessibility, and equity. However, creating precise geospatial data has historically been costly and time-consuming, which can constrain planning initiatives. To address this issue, Ecopia is utilizing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to transform high-resolution imagery into geometrically accurate vector maps at a national scale. From improving multimodal transportation networks and emergency response outcomes to building climate resilience strategies, this blog will explore three remarkable ways municipalities work with Ecopia to build safer, more accessible and equitable communities.

Supporting the safety of multimodal transportation networks

One way Ecopia enables municipalities is by providing the foundational data for maintaining and improving transportation infrastructure. This innovative approach to data creation delivers rapid, cost-effective insights for communities, like the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG). For example, SEMCOG needed detailed sidewalk, crosswalk, and parking lot data for their entire 5,000 square mile region, which Ecopia provided in just 3 weeks using AI-based systems. This data allowed SEMCOG to identify areas with gaps in crosswalks, enabling strategic planning for improved walkability and safer community connections. 

SEMCOG isn't the only metropolitan planning organization (MPO) leveraging Ecopia's innovative AI-powered mapping technology. The San Bernardino County Transportation Authority also uses a data-driven approach to enhance the infrastructure serving its more than 2 million residents. San Bernardino County partnered with Ecopia to harness high-resolution geospatial imagery and AI to digitize their extensive transportation network, which spans over 20,000 square miles, in just three months. Ecopia’s extraction of detailed transportation features has helped the county advance initiatives aimed at supporting the safety and quality of life for residents. For example, the insights derived from analyzing tree canopy have helped the county assess how vegetation can improve pedestrian safety and comfort in a region with high temperatures.

In both cases, the comprehensive database and detailed vector maps created by Ecopia support various initiatives, including multimodal network planning, public transit access, pedestrian safety, and ADA compliance.

Improving emergency response efficiency 

When it comes to ensuring the safety and security of residents, an essential responsibility for municipalities is the provision of emergency services. In many municipalities, emergency services rely on mapping technology to establish access routes when handling 911 calls. However, the presence of incomplete and erroneous data within consumer-facing mapping applications can present challenges for response teams, hindering their ability to provide prompt assistance. 

Like many areas, Collier County grappled with this issue, occasionally experiencing emergency responders being routed to incorrect locations. For example, EMS teams in the county reported being directed to a highway located behind a building, requiring them to spend precious time locating a proper access point to get to the emergency caller. These inaccuracies primarily stem from the foundational data used in common routing systems, which rely on street centerlines in their routing algorithms, associating addresses with the nearest road segments rather than buildings themselves. 

In response, Collier County’s GIS department began to build their own database with more detail than traditional solutions. However, the absence of reliable data led them to manually digitize features. Across the county’s 2,300 square miles, this turned out to be time-consuming and labor-intensive. The team spent four years digitizing thousands of address points and access roads, plus performing ongoing maintenance to keep the data up-to-date with real-world change. Recognizing a need for a more efficient approach, Collier County partnered with Ecopia. Ecopia was able to efficiently and accurately digitize the features EMS teams need, mapping over 132,000 driveways and access roads in under a month.

Following the integration of Ecopia's data, Collier County's GIS department has experienced fewer complaints from emergency responders regarding routing issues. In fact, the improved database has resulted in remarkably faster response times for fire and EMS teams in the county.

Building accurate models to support climate resilience 

For any government, the capacity to anticipate and plan for climate events is crucial to promote public safety and protect infrastructure. Unfortunately, this task is often as challenging as it is important, especially when considering how quickly the real world changes.

Take, for instance, the City of Peterborough in Ontario. The ability to anticipate and plan for climate events is crucial for the city, as flooding poses a significant threat to public safety and essential infrastructure. Striving to bolster its flood resilience, the city grappled with inconsistent and outdated data from various sources. To tackle this challenge and refine its flood modeling capabilities, Peterborough turned to Ecopia. Leveraging high-resolution imagery and advanced AI-based systems, Ecopia created a comprehensive land cover dataset, offering Peterborough valuable insights into land features and their proximity to watercourses. This data became instrumental in developing an integrated flood model, enabling the city to assess flood risks, plan future projects, and make informed land use decisions aimed at safeguarding the city from flooding. Thanks to Ecopia's detailed, consistent, and regularly updated data, Peterborough now possesses a valuable resource that eliminates the need for data integration from different sources, allowing the city to concentrate on optimizing its stormwater management strategies.

Over 1,200 miles away in northeastern Florida, the City of Jacksonville was also looking for an efficient and cost-effective solution, specifically for mapping stormwater and establishing equitable stormwater utility fees (SUFs) in Duval County. After evaluating various data providers, Jacksonville ultimately opted for Ecopia due to its competitive pricing and efficiency. In collaboration with Ecopia, they harnessed the power of AI to generate highly detailed maps to inform the Public Works Department's stormwater management planning and analysis. This comprehensive dataset encompasses distinct pervious and impervious surfaces, including buildings, roads, driveways, tree canopy, and more. By utilizing this data, the City of Jacksonville significantly enhanced the accuracy and efficiency of their stormwater analysis and SUF planning.

Paving the way to a safer, more sustainable tomorrow with Ecopia AI

Governments face the daunting task of protecting their communities, a task that becomes exceedingly difficult in the absence of comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date data. Ecopia's innovative solutions offer a transformative path forward for governments, empowering them with advanced geospatial data at scale to support critical decision-making for the safety and well-being of their communities. 

Ecopia’s solutions are also being used at the state and federal levels of government for transportation planning, public safety, stormwater management, climate resilience, and infrastructure planning. In fact, Ecopia’s HD vector maps are leveraged for hundreds of government and commercial applications worldwide. To learn more, get in touch today.