Setting the Scene
Sydney's trees are vital for keeping the city cool, livable, and resilient. With 33 local government areas spanning 500,000 hectares, no one had a complete picture of canopy health, coverage, or heat hotspots. Without reliable data, it was impossible to identify where urban forest strategies were working or where urgent intervention was needed.
The Challenge: A Fragmented View of the Urban Forest
Traditional monitoring methods provided only snapshots of canopy cover, with each council working from different baselines. This fragmentation made it difficult to compare results, plan across boundaries, or build policy with confidence. The NSW Department of Planning and Housing needed to unify the data, track changes over time, and provide all councils with the same reliable evidence base.
The Response: Building a Shared Evidence Platform
ArborCarbon captured high-resolution aerial imagery across the entire Greater Sydney region. Using advanced geospatial analysis, we mapped canopy cover, vegetation condition, and surface temperatures at the suburb level. To make this data accessible, we developed the Green Infrastructure User Interface—a shared digital platform giving all 33 councils direct access to the same information for planning, reporting, and monitoring.
The Payoff: Confidence in Planning and Policy
- Delivered canopy and heat data every two years since 2020, on time and within budget.
- Enabled councils to consistently compare results and track canopy changes at the suburb level.
- Supported award-winning urban forest and greening strategies with defensible, science-backed evidence.
For the first time, every Sydney council could see the same story—not just about today's canopy, but how it is changing over time.
What It Means for Other Cities
This project demonstrates how large-scale, repeatable monitoring can transform urban forestry from reactive management to proactive planning. With the right data, governments can reduce risk, build compliance confidently, and invest in strategies that will protect their city's livability for decades to come.
