{"683422":{"#nid":"683422","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Mapping Georgia\u2019s Urban Forest: Georgia Tech Tools Help Planners Prioritize Tree Canopy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFor more than 15 years, Georgia Tech has provided the City of Atlanta with the foundational data and insight that shape how the city tracks, understands, and plans for changes in its tree canopy. The latest cycle of this research \u2014 delivered through the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/resilience.research.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECenter for Urban Resilience and Analytics (CURA)\u003C\/a\u003E \u2014 continues that legacy by offering a high-resolution, citywide canopy assessment using satellite imagery and field validation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe assessment, funded by the city\u2019s Tree Recompense Fund, uses advanced remote sensing tools such as WorldView-2 satellite data and a random forest classification model to categorize land into three land cover types. These include tree canopy, non-tree vegetation (grass, shrubs, and low lying vegetation) and non-vegetation (water, pervious surface). The methodology delivers a detailed spatial picture of land cover across the city.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is simply a tool in their planning arsenal,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/planning.gatech.edu\/people\/tony-giarrusso\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAnthony Giarrusso\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, who has led every canopy study since 2008. \u201cBefore they did any of this work in 2008, everything was anecdotal. It was reactionary.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe new study is not advocacy \u2014 it\u2019s information. Giarrusso emphasized that while researchers stay neutral in the politics of urban growth and conservation, their work equips city leaders with science-based knowledge to make more effective zoning and planning decisions.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to mapping existing conditions, the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/storymaps.arcgis.com\/stories\/b53452fbad5c4cc6a237940bcd08bd7d\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech team developed the Potential Planting Index (PPI)\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, a scalable tool that identifies where tree planting is physically possible based on current land cover. The tool quantifies the difference between tree canopy and non-tree vegetation, indicating zones with restoration potential.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAnother key insight is the challenge of interpreting canopy change without understanding land use patterns. \u201cIt gives you a false sense of stability if you don\u2019t understand the underlying land use,\u201d said Giarrusso. \u201cYou might see canopy regrowth on paper, but that land could be cleared again tomorrow.\u201d He explained that this false signal is particularly common in stalled development sites: \u201cWe saw a lot of properties where trees had regrown after initial clearing, but it was temporary and monoculture, low quality canopy. Several of those areas were cleared again for construction later.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGiarrusso pointed to these \u201closs-gain-loss\u201d cycles as one of the more misleading aspects of tree canopy analysis without strong land use context. \u201cSome of them were pipe farms \u2014 land cleared for development with infrastructure like water and sewer lines installed, but then construction never happened. So trees grow back, and you get a canopy gain that doesn\u2019t last and is nowhere near the quality of the trees originally cleared.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHe stressed that policymakers need to consider the permanence of canopy when using the data. \u201cIf it\u2019s just going to be cleared again in two years, it\u2019s not really a gain. That\u2019s why long-term tracking and land use analysis together are so important.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe city has incorporated these tools into broader planning efforts, including zoning reform and tree ordinance revisions. The research supports recommendations such as restricting full lot clearing in certain zoning categories and adjusting setback or lot coverage limits to better preserve existing canopy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGiarrusso underscored the urgency of protecting larger, intact forested tracts. \u201cIf you can see it from space and it\u2019s still forest \u2014 save it,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce it\u2019s cleared, you don\u2019t get it back.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech researchers developed new statewide canopy assessment tools to help urban planners, policymakers, and communities make data-informed decisions for climate resilience.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech researchers developed new statewide canopy assessment tools to help urban planners, policymakers, and communities make data-informed decisions for climate resilience."}],"uid":"36761","created_gmt":"2025-07-31 19:26:56","changed_gmt":"2025-12-31 16:38:16","author":"malonso35","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-07-31T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"587356":{"id":"587356","type":"image","title":"Trees around Einstein Statue","body":null,"created":"1487015393","gmt_created":"2017-02-13 19:49:53","changed":"1487015393","gmt_changed":"2017-02-13 19:49:53","alt":"Trees around Einstein","file":{"fid":"223847","name":"16C10400-P15-015.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/16C10400-P15-015.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/16C10400-P15-015.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":2802823,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/16C10400-P15-015.jpg?itok=uBcC4GSz"}}},"media_ids":["587356"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"142","name":"City Planning, Transportation, and Urban Growth"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"144","name":"Energy"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"179325","name":"urban canopy"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"},{"id":"194566","name":"Sustainable Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["Melissa.Alonso@design.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}