Parts of this blog were published in the World Bank's Data Blog in collaboration.
Contributors include NLT's Chief Scientist & Senior Consultant and NLT's Telecom Program Manager, in collaboration with the World Bank's Governance and Land & Geospatial teams.
Satellites provide daily images of almost every location on earth, and computers can be trained to process the massive amounts of data they generate to produce insightful analysis. This is just one demonstration of artificial intelligence (AI). AI can go beyond reading images captured from space; it can help improve lives overall.
Machine learning and AI are increasingly used to provide near-real-time analysis of how cities change in practice. By teaching computers what to look for in satellite images, rapidly expanding sources of satellite data (public and commercial), together with machine learning algorithms, can be leveraged to quickly reveal how actual city development aligns with planning and zoning.
An ongoing collaboration between the World Bank's Governance and Land & Geospatial teams and its Development Economics Research Group is helping connect emerging technology and machine learning to key development stakeholders in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. Specific machine learning algorithms "teach" computers to automatically detect and classify different types of land cover and land use across space and time, then generate compelling insights, analytics, and visualizations. The model predicts the spatial distribution of these land-cover and land-use types, and this prediction can then be analyzed and translated into smart city management.
"In today's world of technological advancements, NLT plays an increasing role in helping organizations, developing countries, and — importantly — vulnerable communities harness these new technologies for the benefit of citizens. A recent example is an ongoing project with the World Bank aiming to develop innovative tools to empower decision-makers in vulnerable countries to strengthen their resilience." — NLT Chief Scientist and Senior Consultant
Technology Has Made It Easier to Access and Process Satellite Imagery
The traditional model of using satellite imagery meant getting a small subset of it on a compact disk and analyzing it on a local computer. Increasingly, this data is brought to the cloud, avoiding the need to download large, out-of-date volumes of satellite data. Cloud-based platforms also include machine learning algorithms that can analyze millions of scenes on a global scale.
AI will never replace human validation or effective governance on the ground. But satellite data, together with machine learning, can provide a bird's-eye view — down to the minutiae of what is happening on the ground and what requires further attention. Smart cities like HCMC can take bright steps to harness this technology by first using free data and learning by doing. Sharing and communicating these results with a broader set of stakeholders, in and out of government, will trigger the solutions that promise to make the most significant difference in people's lives.
NLT Understands How Technology Can Be Used to Help Communities Thrive
New Light Technologies (NLT) offers deep experience integrating modern technologies with disciplines including urban planning, public safety, transportation, economics, environmental conservation, community broadband networks, and more — implementing successful solutions to benefit all citizens.
"We take great pride in helping community broadband providers streamline their fiber mapping and plant-estimating processes and reduce the workload of engineers." — NLT Telecom Project Manager
NLT developed a new, easy-to-use Linear Asset Management System that enables small broadband providers to:
- Map and visualize physical assets (cable, poles, manholes, and other networked assets such as water and electrical supply systems)
- Plan and design networks efficiently and transparently
- Generate and validate network routes in seconds
- Detect faults quickly to reduce response time
- Use desktop engineering tools that reduce truck rolls and labor costs
Our technology and consulting practice has enabled cities like Washington, DC — with its DC-Net program — to bring affordable, value-added broadband services to over 600 critical health, educational, public safety, and other community anchor institutions throughout the District.
NLT knows that a smart city needs a smart network, and that you need smart tools to build and maintain it. NLT UtilityLINE allows its end users to map, track, analyze, report on, and manage their operational support systems.
What NLT UtilityLINE Offers
- GIS and mapping tools
- Physical network planning & work-order support
- Network cabling
- Custom integrations
- Users and roles
Improved Zoning Information Access Makes Cities Smarter
NLT has worked over the years with the DC Office of Zoning to develop the first-generation Official Digital Zoning Map in the USA, using tightly integrated geospatial application development. The city has continued to grow its zoning information sharing and collaboration, seeing net benefits to its operations and, more importantly, to the user community inside and outside government.
About New Light Technologies
New Light Technologies (NLT) is a Washington, DC-based firm with 25+ years of experience delivering:
- Geospatial systems and enterprise GIS
- Cloud-native data platforms
- AI/ML and advanced analytics
- DevSecOps and cybersecurity solutions
NLT supports federal, state, and international organizations in operationalizing data for mission impact.