Case Studies
01
Auckland District Right-Sizes
Budgets with greehill Trees
Executive Summary
Auckland District exemplifies proactive urban forestry management and a steadfast commitment to continuous improvement. Seeking to refine its understanding of citywide tree assets, the district partnered with greehill to implement the Smart Tree Inventory (STI). This initiative provided detailed, verifiable inventory data, revealing a network of 37% larger inventory stock than previously estimated. With these insights, Auckland aligned its maintenance planning and resource allocation with the real needs of its urban forest; enhancing public safety, streamlining arborist workflows, and ensuring resilient, efficient management for years to come.
Introduction
Auckland District, one of New Zealand's most dynamic urban regions, manages a diverse and extensive inventory of street and park trees. Keeping pace with urban growth, the district’s urban forestry and road corridor teams have long prioritized the integration of best practices, accurate data, and future-ready planning models. Recognizing that legacy asset inventories, common across the sector, may not capture the full scope of a living urban forest, Auckland made it a priority to validate and enhance its asset data as a foundation for smarter decision-making.
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The Opportunity
Like many urban areas, Auckland recognized the opportunity to refine its asset records to support evolving operational needs, public expectations, and changing urban environments. The district’s Operations & Management (O&M) budgets had traditionally referenced an estimated count of 15,500 to 16,000 trees, grounded in earlier inventories and best available data. However, acknowledging that urban forests continually change and expand, Auckland sought a comprehensive, technology-driven update to ensure its planning remained as robust as its vision for a greener, safer city.
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This forward-thinking approach addressed several key objectives:
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Optimized Budget Alignment: By ensuring asset data truly reflected in the current urban forest, resources can be allocated with precision and confidence.
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Strategic Maintenance: Deeper, evidence-based insights into tree location, condition, and risk enabled a shift from generalized cycles toward proactive, targeted care.
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Efficiency for Arborists: Access to up-to-date, remotely verifiable information meant arborists could focus their on-site expertise where it was needed most, improving both efficiency and job satisfaction.
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Data-Driven Justification: Comprehensive, transparent inventory data provided a solid foundation for funding requests and supported regulatory compliance.
The Solution
Auckland District selected greehill’s Smart Tree Inventory (STI) for a full-scale, proven solution upgrade for its urban tree assets. This solution delivered a district-wide scan using high-resolution LiDAR and imagery, analyzed with advanced AI and machine learning. The result: a rich, per-tree digital inventory that formed a new gold standard for urban forestry data.
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With the greehill Trees (gT) platform, Auckland's teams gained access to a unified set of actionable metrics, including:
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Accurate Physical Measurements: Every tree, including multi-stem specimens, was precisely measured for Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) and other vital attributes.
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Automated Risk and Health Assessment: Advanced analytics highlighted tree protection zones (TPZ/RPZ), critical clearances, and structural characteristics to help anticipate issues and prioritize maintenance.
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Vitality Indexing and Proactive Care: The crown dieback and foliage density metrics enabled the team to focus on trees in need of urgent attention, turning data into action for optimal canopy health.
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Ecosystem Value Quantification: Integration with i-Tree Eco provides quantifiable data on the urban forest’s environmental contributions, an essential for accountability and public engagement.
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The streamlined four-stage Smart Tree Management rollout included:
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1. Capture & Monitor: A rapid Smart Tree Inventory (STI), a district-wide scan that produces a high-quality data foundation structured to be re-captured every two years.
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2. Analyze & Visualize: AI and machine learning transformed raw data into a smart, interactive inventory. ​​
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3. Prioritize & Plan: Teams built intelligent, needs-based worklists enabling strategic use of resources for tasks like clearance or health interventions.
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4. Execute & Verify: The gT platform facilitates remote approvals and ready-to-use reports, supporting smooth collaboration and compliance.
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Results
The transition to greehill Trees markedly advanced Auckland’s urban forestry goals. The updated inventory identified 21,196 verified trees, approximately 37% more than prior records reflected. This deeper, more accurate understanding of the network empowered teams to align budgets, planning, and safety priorities directly with ground-truthed needs.
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Key achievements include:
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Evidence-Backed Budget Realignment: With clear, verified asset counts, budgeting became truly reflective of on-the-ground realities improving both accountability and resource outcomes.
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Targeted Safety Enhancements: Data-driven identification of priority zones (such as areas near roads, utilities, or with low-vitality trees) supported practical, proactive risk management.
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Operational Efficiency: The shift to “desk-first” remote triage and digital consent workflows significantly reduced on-site inspections, directing fieldwork to where it delivers the most value.
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Streamlined Approvals: Automated, verifiable documentation accelerated permit and review processes, minimizing administrative delays and improving interdepartmental collaboration.
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Heritage Tree Protection: Enhanced visibility of heritage-listed specimens ensured timely, proactive care and preservation planning.
Conclusion
Auckland District’s partnership with greehill is a testament to the city’s commitment to transparency, innovation, and the continual enhancement of public green spaces. By embracing comprehensive, data-driven strategies, the district has positioned itself at the forefront of urban forestry, demonstrating prudent stewardship and a future-ready approach to growth.
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Looking ahead, Auckland is well-placed to extend its use of greehill’s smart forestry tools for ongoing value: from per-kilometer reporting for roads authorities to regularly refreshed inventory data, ensuring planning accuracy keeps pace with the city’s evolving landscape. This journey of validation and innovation stands as a model for what will be the standard for other cities seeking smarter, safer, and more resilient urban forests.
Discover how greehill can provide your organization with a transparent, measurable, and actionable view of your urban forest.