R3 GIS is an Italian company that develops green area management software called R3 TREES. The software allows multiple stakeholders to access a central geodatabase of urban green space assets. It facilitates jobs, inspections, and workflows while also providing citizen information through public maps. R3 TREES supports management of various asset types and integrates tools for data entry, quality control, historical records, and more to help municipalities efficiently maintain their urban green areas.

1. INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT
OF URBAN GREEN AREAS
Paolo Viskanic (paolo.viskanic@r3-gis.com)
Daniel Degasperi (daniel.degasperi@r3-gis.com)
Merano and Milano (Italy)

2. Content
• Who is R3 GIS?
• Why a Green Area Management System?
• Geodatabase and Data model
• Jobs, inspections, workflows
• Citizen information
• Conclusions

3. • Founded 2003
• Main office in Merano (BZ), second office in Milano
• 12 Collaborators, (6 in software development)
• Quality Certification ISO 9001:2008
• Member of the Open Geospatial Consortium
• Funding member of the Foss Academy
• Operating through partners in Italy, Austria and Germany

4. Activities
SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
CONSULTING
SERVICES
TRAINING
PROJECTS
ACTIVITIES
ENVIRONMENTAND
AGRICULTURE
GREENAREA
MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION
TOURISMANDSKI
AREAS
FOSSACADEMY
UTILITIES
SECTORS

5. Solutions for the public administration

6. Open Source Technology
• CentOS or RedHat operating system
• Geodatabase PostgreSQL/PostGIS
• PHP, Java, Javascript, HTML
• UMN Mapserver/GeoServer
• Analysis: Grass, jGrass, gvSIG, uDig, QGis
• WebGIS Client: OpenLayers, GisClient
R3 GIS contributes to most of these Technologies

7. Management of urban green areas
• Public parks and gardens
• Private gardens
• Cemeteries
• Tree-lined streets
• Transport corridors with trees and vegetation
• River-bank corridors with trees and vegetation

8. Why a Green Area management software?
• Documentation in the case of damages
• Planning and accounting for maintenance activities
• Reporting, statistical analysis
• Quality control and improvement

9. Why a WebGIS?
• All users access one central database
• An authentication system enforces security
• Access by all stakeholders involved
• Privileges are set according to responsibilities
• Access in the field on a tablet or PDA

10. All stakeholders involved

11. Urban green area management with R3 TREES
All stakeholders access the data for their area of competence
Central
Geodatabas
e
2Jobs,
inspections,
Workflows
3Citizen
Information

12. Urban green area management with R3 TREES
All stakeholders access the data for their area of competence
Central
Geodatabas
e
2Jobs,
inspections,
Workflows
3Citizen
Information

13. Data Model requirements
• Flexibility (type of managed assets must be
configurable)
• Hierarchical structure (allows different levels of
abstraction)
• Compatibility to national standards (National data
core, Inspire)
• Applicability to different maintenance jobs (each type
of job requires different tools, expertise, machines and
has a different price)

14. VEGETATION
STREET FURNITURE
MANAGEMENT
Data model structure

15. Data model example
VEGETATION
URBAN GREEN
GREEN AREA
LAWN
FLAT LAWN
A101016
LAWN WITH
CONCRETE BLOCKS
A101050
LAWN
IN ESCARPMENT
A101051
LAWN
IN TRAM LINE
A101052
CITY GEODATABASE GREEN AREA DATA MODEL
Assets are classified according to the type of maintenance
activities they are subject to. This allows for accurate maintenance
cost calculations and stimulates update of geometries.

16. Map Interface

17. Map Interface

18. Map Interface
• WebGIS interface with standard GIS tools
• Based on OGC Standards
• Multilingual
• Simple geometry editing tools
• Print functions in different sizes and formats
• Google Street View integrated
• Interactive selection, query and Tooltip tools
• Editing tools with snapping capability
• Legend and hierarchical layer tree
• Measuring tools

19. Data entry
Import-Export Tools: checks
integrity and topology, stores
historical information
Editing tools allow entry and
management of geometry
and attributes directly from
the map interface

20. Urban green area management with R3 TREES
All stakeholders access the data for their area of competence
Central
Geodatabas
e
2Jobs,
inspections,
Workflows
3Citizen
Information

21. Workflows managed: a view examples
• TREES: tree database with main characteristics of each
plant. Workflows for planting and felling trees and for
removing the stump.
• VTA: visual and instrumental tree assessments,
documentation, traceability
• PLAYS: Playgrounds, equipment and periodical
inspections. Management of maintenance activities.
• GREEN AREAS: GIS inventory of all objects, statistics,
historical information.
• JOBS: planning, monitoring and documentation of
maintenance activities, directly linked to the assets
involved
• QUALITY: tools to ensure monitoring and action to
ensure quality of public areas

22. Example: Visual Tree Assessment (VTA)
Visual
Assessment
Instrumental
checks
Prescriptions
and jobs
Risk class
Approval
New VTA
planned
Each tree is subject to periodic assessment to ensure
public safety and quality of urban green spaces

23. Example: Visual Tree Assessment (VTA)
Visual Assessment
Instrumental Analysis

24. Job programming and follow-up
• Programming of maintenance activities
• Quantities are provided by the GIS
• Cost is calculated based on quantities
• The job is programmed in a certain time period
• Closing activities as they are carried out
Job, Operator, time of execution, cost, etc. are connected
to actual asset on the ground.
historical database

25. Historical database
PLANTED MAY 1985
PRUNING APRIL 1989
THINNING CANOPY MARCH
1991
DEAD WOODING
FEBRUARY 1993
VISUAL TREE ASSESSMENT
JULY 1993
THINNING CANOPY MARCH
1995
VISUAL TREE ASSESSMENT
JULY 1998
DEAD WOODING
FEBRUARY 2000
PRUNING APRIL 2001
PRUNING MAY 2003
………….

26. Quality control
Quality is
checked in
the field
Non
compliance is
transmitted
to server
Asset is
identified and
planned
activities are
evaluated
Job is planned
Job carried
out and non
compliance
resolved

27. Quality control
• Non compliances are recorded in the field through Trimble
Juno PDAs with Position, photo and attributes.
• Synchronisation transfers all data to the server, where it is
combined with the GIS and checked against open jobs and
previous non-compliances
• After checks a job is created and assigned to the contractor
responsible for the site

28. Urban green area management with R3 TREES
All stakeholders access the data for their area of competence
Central
Geodatabas
e
2Jobs,
inspections,
Workflows
3Citizen
Information

29. Publication on the web
• Main data are made available to the public
• Each change in the management application is
automatically applied to the public interface
• Public interface is very simple and user
friendly
• Examples:
– Merano (www.ambiente.comune.merano.bz.it)
– Rimini (http://www.antheasit.it/public)

30. Public map of Parks and Recreation of Merano

31. Public map of Parks and Recreation of Merano

32. Who uses R3 TREES?
Municipalities:
About 35 cities in Italy including Milano, Pavia, Forli, Sanremo,
Rimini, …
Transport companies:
Highway Milano-Genova, Tangenziali di Milano, Ferrovie Nord
Institutions managing housing estates:
Provinces, Insurance companies, Cooperatives
Contractors for green area management.

33. Conclusions
A well organised GIS of urban green areas can:
• Allow you to share all relevant information with all
stakeholders
• Document all activities and thus take decisions based on data
and gives legal security in case of accidents
• Improve management activities by learning from past
experience
• Ensure save and enjoyable parks and recreation areas in your
town.

34. Thank you for your interest
Main office:
Via Johann Kravogl, 2
39012 Merano (BZ)
Tel. +39 0473 494949
Fax +39 0473 069902
Office in Milano:
Via Vallisneri, 2
20133 Milano (MI)