Arup has been commissioned by the Lands Department of the HKSAR Government to undertake a project that leverages on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology to understand how land is being used for better decision making in urban planning and development.
Arup will develop a digital solution with AI/ML capabilities to analyse aerial, satellite and LiDAR imagery and identify various kinds of landscape in the study area. The tool will be implemented in a selected area of 50km² in the New Territories, with diverse landscapes including buildings, roads, rural area and woodlands etc.
Combining our domain expertise on ecology, geology and planning together with advanced digital technology, our specialists will create the optimal solution in terms of IT infrastructures, AI algorithms and interactive visualisations. AI and ML’s ability to analyse and interpret large quantities of data, recognise patterns, and interpret images far more accurately and quickly than humans, are at the centre of the tool’s potential. Real-time, accurate city data in the form of detailed, region-scaled land use maps can be produced from only a satellite image as initial input. The tool will provide a more efficient way to get a closer view of the situation on-ground, compared to traditional approaches of physical site visits and laborious measurement.