High Resolution Imaging and High Accuracy Mapping of Informal Cities

More than half the current global population lives in cities. United Nations projections estimate that this number will rise to 70 percent by 2050. About 32% of this current urban population—1 billion people—reside in an urban geography that is often literally off the map, illegal, and generally beyond the reach of government services and infrastructure. In an ongoing collaboration between the IDSC and the School of Architecture, our software engineers are experimenting with tools and techniques for documenting urban informal settlements that will provide a lower barrier of entry to others interested in engaging in similar projects. These tools include software for advanced image analysis and mapping using hand-held mobile devices, as well as autonomous aerial vehicles (aka drones), that allow for a level of detail, ease of use and frequency of observation currently not readily available (at reasonable cost) to these communities.

ORTHOPHOTO: Las Flores Informal Settlement, Barranquilla Colombia

“With Pencils and Drones, Architects Put Informal Cities on the Map“ by Robert C. Jones |  eVeritas, January 9, 2017