Manchester Unveils 3D Digital Map of Urban Trees Created by Bluesky

COALVILLE, England, November 25, 2010 - A computer-generated map of Manchester's urban trees has been created by
aerial mapping company Bluesky. The first project of its type in the world,
the 3D map is helping authorities across Manchester understand the impact of
urban trees on the environment, public health and the aesthetic qualities of
the region. Derived from recent aerial photography Bluesky's ProximiTREE is
an accurate map detailing the precise location and extent of trees and their
proximity to buildings and other landscape features.

Commissioned by a consortium of organisations headed up by Red Rose
Forest and including local authorities, the Homes and Communities Agency and
the University of Salford, the ProximiTREE data will be used to provide a
greater understanding of the benefits trees can provide across the community.

"A previous tree audit undertaken using basic aerial photography had
revealed some really interesting results, with levels of tree cover
higher than expected but very uneven," commented Mike Savage Operations
Manager of Red Rose Forest. "We were really keen to extend the study across
the entire region so when we learnt Bluesky had developed a product that
would not only meet our basic needs - mapping the location of trees - but
would also provide additional, highly valuable data we were very excited."

Red Rose Forest is the Community Forest for central and western Greater
Manchester, working with local communities, businesses and partners, to
develop well-wooded, multipurpose landscapes and improve the quality of life
in the area. Red Rose Forest is hoping that the tree data will help them
answer questions such as 'Which stretches of main roads are lacking in
trees?,' 'How does tree cover relate to maps of air quality?' and 'Does tree
cover impact on the Urban Heat Island effect or to risk of flooding?.'

Mike Savage continued, "Using Bluesky's ProximiTREE data we aim to come
up with plans to maintain existing tree cover and increase this vital
resource across Greater Manchester."

Bluesky's ProximiTREE uses overlapping aerial images to map the location,
height and extent of a trees canopy. Both 2D and 3D versions of the map are
available and ProximiTREE works alongside existing Bluesky datasets such as
3D buildings, terrain models and aerial imagery.

CONTACTS: Rachel Tidmarsh, Bluesky, tel +44(0)1530-518-518