Saturday, October 10, 2009

Using GIS & Remote Sensing to Measure Urban Sustainability



The environmental impact of human activity on irreplaceable natural resources has set off a national chain of events and a need to evaluate feasible sustainability solutions.

Issues that were once scholarly debates are now urgent concerns, from global warming caused by greenhouse gases to energy conservation, people the world over are taking notice and learning what they can do to reduce pollutants and waste, and tap into renewable energy sources to preserve our precious natural resources.

Smart growth and urban sustainability are such hot topics that they are now becoming part of public policy and stimulus money is being used for green initiatives. Many of these initiatives are focused on renewable energy resources, green jobs, green cities, and energy efficiency. However, talk has only just begun on how States, County and local governments will go about creating and implementing “green” action plans, determining baseline conditions and land use, and collecting the geospatial data necessary to determine the costs of such action plans.

However, not much has been said about how and where powerful new geospatial technologies can help to achieve these goals. We would like to share how we can be of service to those of you who are trying to align your purpose with many others now investing in their own green cities.

See NCDC's new capabilities brochure here.