South Central Planning and Development Commission Selects Ecopia AI to Support Transportation Planning

October 16, 2024 - Toronto - Today, Ecopia AI (Ecopia) announces the delivery of high-precision geospatial data to the South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC) to support active transportation planning in the region. 

The South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC) is a regional economic development and planning organization that serves as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Houma-Thibodaux Urbanized Area in South Louisiana, facilitating transportation, land use, and infrastructure planning. SCPDC supports the sustainable growth of the region through coordinated efforts across various governmental entities, leveraging data-driven insights to guide planning decisions. 

SCPDC first discovered Ecopia’s solutions at the 2023 Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) conference. Ecopia’s AI-powered mapping systems efficiently extract map features from imagery with the accuracy of a trained GIS professional but in much shorter timelines. Impressed by this technology, SCPDC recognized the value of using AI to efficiently digitize GIS features through aerial imagery, particularly for their planning needs. “The combination of cutting-edge technology and high-quality data made Ecopia a natural partner for enhancing our geospatial capabilities,” said Joshua Manning, Planner IV at SCPDC.

Creating geospatial data using traditional methods, like manual digitization, is a labor-intensive and time-consuming task requiring months or even years of effort from skilled GIS professionals. As a result, by the time the data is ready for use, it may be outdated and not accurately reflect real-world conditions. This process is particularly challenging when developing detailed transportation network data, such as sidewalk inventories across an entire region.
 
Previously, SCPDC undertook a manual sidewalk inventory, where planning staff drove along major roadways to identify sidewalks and evaluate their quality and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While this method provided valuable insights, it was time-consuming and ultimately led to incomplete data, as many sidewalks—particularly those off arterial or collector roads—were overlooked.

Recognizing the challenges associated with manual digitization, SCPDC partnered with Ecopia. Ecopia leveraged AI-powered technology to quickly deliver comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date transportation data, including sidewalk inventory data across the region. “Ecopia’s data allows us to overcome the limitations of manual data collection by providing a more comprehensive and accurate picture of our pedestrian network, ensuring that we capture a fuller representation of the region's infrastructure,” Manning added.

What’s Next?

SCPDC sees a wide range of potential uses for Ecopia’s Active Transportation data layer in planning efforts. An immediate application is supplementing the sidewalk inventory they have gathered over the past few years. Moving forward, they plan to partner with a consulting firm to assess ADA compliance across the entire sidewalk network. The data will also be integrated into SCPDC’s Complete Streets planning, helping to identify gaps in pedestrian infrastructure and prioritize future connectivity projects. 

“Ecopia’s data will play a key role in enhancing our sidewalk network assessments and identifying areas where improvements are needed. We expect future projects related to pedestrian safety and connectivity to greatly benefit from the detailed geospatial insights Ecopia provides,” Manning noted. “Although we are still in the early stages of utilizing this data, we believe it will significantly shape our decision-making processes moving forward. Specifically, it will help us prioritize investments in the pedestrian network, targeting areas with the greatest need for improved connectivity and ADA compliance.”

“We're thrilled to support SCPDC as they leverage Ecopia's high-precision mapping data to enhance understanding of pedestrian infrastructure,” said Bill Singleton, VP of Sales at Ecopia AI. “It’s exciting to see how they plan to utilize this data to support pedestrian connectivity throughout their transportation network.”

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About South Central Planning and Development Commission
South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC) is a diverse, ever-changing commission serving many different constituencies made specially for and by local governments in the South Central Region. We perform a variety of services to meet the ever-changing needs and challenges of its member governments. These services include long-range planning, state and federal liaison, current issues, membership services and services to business and citizens. To learn more, visit https://scpdc.org/about-us/ 

About Ecopia AI
Ecopia is on a mission to create a digital twin of the Earth. We leverage artificial intelligence to convert high-resolution imagery into high-definition (HD) vector maps. These maps form a digital representation of reality and are embedded into decision-making applications, offering unique insight at scale. Ecopia’s HD vector maps are leveraged for hundreds of commercial and government applications across over 100 countries around the world.