Software Development

Azavea looks to expand PhillyTreeMap software

It turns out that people all across the country are getting into tree mapping and Azavea, the Callowhill-based GIS mapping firm, hopes to make their open source software, OpenTreeMap, the standard framework for documenting urban tree inventory, Azavea president Robert Cheetham told Technically Philly. At last year’s Philly Tech Week, Azavea launched PhillyTreeMap, an app […]

Photo by Brady Dale

It turns out that people all across the country are getting into tree mapping and Azavea, the Callowhill-based GIS mapping firm, hopes to make their open source software, OpenTreeMap, the standard framework for documenting urban tree inventory, Azavea president Robert Cheetham told Technically Philly.

At last year’s Philly Tech Week, Azavea launched PhillyTreeMap, an app that brought crowdsourced tree mapping to Philadelphia, as Technically Philly reported. With successful implementations in Sacramento and San Francisco, as well, Azavea now has a similar tree mapping pilot program running in Washington D.C. and just signed an implementation in Grand Rapids, MI, Cheetham told Technically Philly.

Over the weekend, Cheetham (@rcheetham) tweeted about a “New #OpenTreeMap implementation in San Diego j.mp/x3tDPn,” however Cheetham told Technically Philly the program was launched by a partner organization called Urban Ecos, an ecological consulting firm, that was using the OpenTreeMap code.

Azavea developed and maintains OpenTreeMap, though anyone can use the open source tool. All of the tree mapping initiatives use this free code. Cheetham told Technically Philly that he’d been told Code for America fellows based in New Orleans are implementing a similar tree mapping effort there, as well.

As more urban citizens learn to track the trees they share their city streets with, Azavea’s software could help create a continental map of urban forestation.

Companies: Azavea

Before you go...

Please consider supporting Technical.ly to keep our independent journalism strong. Unlike most business-focused media outlets, we don’t have a paywall. Instead, we count on your personal and organizational support.

3 ways to support our work:
  • Contribute to the Journalism Fund. Charitable giving ensures our information remains free and accessible for residents to discover workforce programs and entrepreneurship pathways. This includes philanthropic grants and individual tax-deductible donations from readers like you.
  • Use our Preferred Partners. Our directory of vetted providers offers high-quality recommendations for services our readers need, and each referral supports our journalism.
  • Use our services. If you need entrepreneurs and tech leaders to buy your services, are seeking technologists to hire or want more professionals to know about your ecosystem, Technical.ly has the biggest and most engaged audience in the mid-Atlantic. We help companies tell their stories and answer big questions to meet and serve our community.
The journalism fund Preferred partners Our services
Engagement

Join our growing Slack community

Join 5,000 tech professionals and entrepreneurs in our community Slack today!

Trending

Trump may kill the CHIPS and Science Act. Here’s what that means for your community.

Election results: Live updates on presidential, Senate, House and PA races

A week before Election Day, some Philly city employees question unexpected website change

14 tech community events to be thankful for in November

Technically Media