Chicago Resource Mapping

Urban water conservation and urban forestry planning programs will benefit everyone by reducing pollutants, enhancing recreation, sustaining wildlife and helping to grow the beauty of our cities. The data may be used by single municipalities or by groups for use on large regional collaborative projects. Satellite data will be available beginning mid-May 2008.

The Chicago metropolitan area will be the first in the U.S. to have high-resolution satellite imagery that will help to foster an urban natural resource management plan. This information, which has heretofore not been available, provides data as precise as parcel levels and individual trees. This program will place Chicago and surrounding communities at the leading edge of sustainable and collaborative green planning.

The satellite imagery for this program is being analyzed by NCDC Imaging, Colorado Springs, Colo., and RFP Mapping, LLC, Crystal Lake, Ill. Satellite imagery is analyzed to help create solutions and provide data for watershed management, storm water and air quality modeling and design, water conservation planning, water budget development, urban forest canopy goal setting and green infrastructure planning. The benefits of comprehensive collaborative urban resource plan management are extensive.

Urban water conservation and watershed mapping are integral in any city’s effort to sustain and improve water quality, monitor supply and mitigate abuse. Urban forestry mapping and assessment can quantify the value of individual trees based on air-quality improvement, energy savings and storm water reduction. With these powerful tools cities are able to plan with accuracy where more trees are needed, what type they should be, and the energy/cost savings derived from having such a program.

NCDC Imaging, Colorado Springs, Colo., is a Native American-owned, non-tribal business. They provide satellite image mapping and change detection services to public utilities, local, state and the federal government. NCDC specializes in the processing and advanced analysis of high-resolution imagery. RFP Mapping, LLC, Crystal Lake, Ill., is a female majority-owned business. They specialize in providing similar mapping and analysis services to clientele in the Midwest as well as offering vertical and oblique high-resolution digital photography. Both are authorized DigitalGlobe® resellers.

For additional information about this project please contact www.ncdcimaging.com or www.rfpmappingllc.com