Organization:
Masovian Voivodeship - Marshal's Office / Masovian Regional Planning Office in Warsaw

Brief description of the Organization:
Regional administration, the Masovian Regional Planning Office in Warsaw (MBPR) - an organisational unit of the Masovian Voivodeship local government - is responsible for implementing the tasks of the Masovian Voivodeship local government in the field of development policy, including spatial planning of the voivodeship

Region:
Mazovia (Poland)

Description of the Challenge:
The ongoing processes of suburbanisation lead to the transformation of open areas around cities, fragmentation of natural structures, and the reduction of the continuity of spaces that serve functions such as ecological, climatic, agricultural, landscape, and recreational. This model is used in many locations worldwide, serving as a tool to preserve these areas and coordinate spatial development on a supra-local scale, among other benefits, by ensuring better air and environmental quality, mitigating the urban heat island effect, and preventing urban sprawl.

Delimitation is a process that requires analysis of data concerning, among other things, land cover and use, open spaces, forests and tree cover, agricultural land, waters, nature conservation areas, ecological continuity, built-up areas, infrastructure, and spatial barriers. Conducting analyses using traditional GIS methods is time-consuming and hinders the application of a uniform, repeatable method across many cities.

The challenge involves developing the assumptions of an artificial intelligence model that utilises satellite images and other geospatial data to automate or support the process of delimiting green rings - from data preparation and integration, through multi-criteria analyses, to generating proposals for their boundaries.

The model should enable the application of a consistent method for cities of different sizes and varying spatial conditions, as well as support expert assessment and verification of the results. A potential extension of the solution could be the use of satellite data from different periods to monitor changes occurring within the boundaries of designated green rings.

Expected results and solution requirements
It is expected to develop a solution that:

• integrates satellite images, particularly data from the Copernicus programme, with other available geospatial data;
• automates or supports the preparation of data and multi-criteria spatial analyses;
• identifies areas predisposed to creating green rings, their continuity, spatial barriers, and areas of potential conflict;
• indicates areas predisposed to fulfil specific functions for the inhabitants of the green ring;
• generates a proposal for the boundaries of the green ring, including the criteria influencing the outcome;
• enables the creation and comparison of delimitation variants, as well as modification of criteria and parameters by the user;
• ensures the participation of an expert in the process and the possibility of verifying and correcting the results;
• is scalable and allows the application of a uniform, repeatable method for different cities within the voivodeship;
• produces results in the form of GIS layers, maps, and indicators that can be utilised in spatial planning and development policy;
• can be extended to include periodic monitoring of land use changes and urbanisation pressure within the designated green rings

Your Challenge in just one question:
How can satellite data and artificial intelligence automate the multi-criteria delimitation of green city rings at a regional scale and their cyclical monitoring for land use changes and urbanisation pressure?

Topics: 

• Earth Observation (EO)
• Artificial Intelligence and Data Analysis
• Smart Cities and Spatial Planning
• >Natural Resource Management (water, soil, forests...)
• Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience 

Expected role of Service Provider:

• Research and development
• Software and tool development
• Data delivery and processing
• System integration with public administration platforms (PAP)