Land Cover Classification Mapping & its uses for Planning

• What is Land Cover Classification Mapping?• Examples of an actual product• Why use Land Cover Classification Mapping

for planning?• Possible uses for this technology• Examples of how it has been used• Q & A

What is Land Cover Classification Mapping?

• Land Cover Classification Mapping is derived using an automated technique called Accelerated Feature Extraction (AFE)

• AFE is an iterative, or self-learning software program.

• It was originally designed for use by the U.S Department of Defense and NASA.

• It is a much faster and cost effective way to map features on the ground

Natural Color Red, Green & Blue Bands

Color Infrared (CIR) Imagery

Accelerated Feature Extraction

What is Accelerated Feature Extraction (AFE)?

Digital Image Classification & Analysisto Detect Features Based on –• Pattern Recognition

• Spectral Content

• Spatial Context

• Texture

Forest Biomass

Urban Forestry

The AFE Process

• For every project, it is important to use known ground samples to check accuracy

•When ground samples are compared to “first run” data, the software is adjusted accordingly, yielding greater accuracy

Collect a ground sample with known characteristics.

Extrapolate the sample to an entire area.

• Automated feature extraction yields results that accurately reflect nuance that may otherwise be missed by manual digitization while shrinking project timeframes

Manual Automated

Landcover imagery

7-Class Land Cover Classification CompositeRFP Mapping LLC, 2009

High-Visibility Slides Each Feature is Highlighted in Yellow

Copyright NCDC Imaging, RFP Mapping LLC, 2009

Bare SoilCopyright RFP Mapping LLC, 2009

This illustrates impervious sure

Impervious SurfaceCopyright RFP Mapping LLC, 2009

Tree CanopyCopyright RFP Mapping LLC, 2009

WaterCopyright RFP Mapping LLC, 2009

Healthy Grass / Irrigated AreaCopyright RFP Mapping LLC, 2009

Unhealthy Grass / Non-Irrigated AreaCopyright RFP Mapping LLC, 2009

GrassCopyright RFP Mapping LLC, 2009

7-Class Land Cover Classification CompositeCopyright RFP Mapping LLC, 2009

Why is LCCM Important for Planning?

1.It lets you know what land classes you have

2.It identifies where each class is

3.It lets you know how much of each land class you have

Cited by the APA

In the best-practices manual titled “Planning the Urban Forest” the use of LCCM is mentioned as being a great planning tool for urban foresters.

When you have statistical data on the land resource, your planning decisions are better informed, you have a better understanding for the big picture, and can incorporate the needs of many instead of one.

Environmental – habitat, water/air quality, carbon storage & sequestration

Economic – heating & cooling, infrastructure & design, increased property values

Social – greening initiatives, sense of community, lower crime rates & public health

Value of Land Cover Mapping

Value of Land Cover Mapping

Land – LU/LC (land conversion), urban heat island, sustainable design, physical modeling

Air – carbon market, non-attainment (ozone), quality of life, climate change modeling

Water – supply, conservation, watershed protection, modeling tools

Modeling, Research & Policy – future land use, program effectiveness, monitoring, outreach, education, economic development

Current Issues that LCCM AddressesClimate Change Green Infrastructure Planning

Stormwater Run-offAir Quality

Smart Growth Issues

Sprawl Smart Growth

Transportation More Traffic Congestion More Choices

Pedestrians & Cyclists

No or Few Options Safe Places

Open Space Consumes Preserves

Farmland Destroys Supports

Environment & Public Health

Pollutes and Harms Protects

Cost Pay More Cost Less

Community Takes Resources Away Enhances

Source: Smart Growth America

Mapping as a benchmark or baseline

•LCCM may be used as the benchmark for measurement when many planning projects begin.

•It is easily repeatable, and due to its scientific nature, results are easy to measure.

LCCM is cost effective and far less time consuming than manual methodology.

It is created via accelerated feature extraction software, and offers a very high degree of accuracy.

It integrates easily with existing GIS. And, in-house data such as street center lines or parcel data increase its value!

It may be used by virtually every department in a city or municipality.

Also, the GIS information may be used with GoogleEarth© making it extremely easy for the public to view and offer input on specific projects.

Possible uses for Land Cover Classification Mapping

• It is a planning tool that helps to calculate the environmental, economic and social value of urban green space by scientifically demonstrating the impact it has on air quality, water quality, carbon sequestration, and stormwater run-off.

Possible uses for Land Cover Classification Mapping

• Stormwater modeling• Water conservation

•Streets and sanitation• Urban forestry

• Zoning• Parks and recreation

• Transportation• Land conservation and acquisition

Possible uses for Land Cover Classification Mapping

• Wildfire risk analysis• Wildlife corridor planning• Watershed management

• Utility vegetation management• Green infrastructure planning

Local examples of Land Cover Classification Mapping

Projects

Calculating Impervious Area by Parcel

Bull Valley, IL• A community that is very environmentally focused• Wanted to create a modeling program to promote “Smart Growth”

• Use land cover data to prevent an influx of “un-smart” development• Take a proactive stance in protecting precious water resources• Use land cover mapping and other software as a modeling tool to help mitigate ground water loss• Protect wetlands and sustain biodiversity

Bull Valley, IL

Preventing Urban Sprawl

Barrington, IL

• Geographically, a community that is known for it’s beauty, hilly, many natural bodies of water• Well established residentially and commercially, many older buildings• Older stormwater infrastructure system in some areas• Homeowners have filled in natural drainage ditches to beautify their properties

• A northwest suburb of Chicago• Challenged with flooding issues• Wanted to create a stormwater utility• Purchased 6-class landcover product to help mitigate stormwater run-off problems, create a stormwater utility, and create a benchmark for future studies

Barrington, IL

Other users:The City of Chicago, Department of the Environment. They wanted to know the best places to plant trees of varying sizes throughout the city. Milwaukee, WI. Department of Forestry, had a need to identify the location of all of the ash trees within the city limits, on a parcel basis.

Thank-you for your time!

Questions and answers.

Bill PeelRFP Mapping, LLC930 Pyott Road, Crystal Lake, IL suite 100, 60014bpeel@rfpmappingllc.comwww.rfpmappingllc.com