Identifying rooftop usage in Rotterdam

Fellows: Tiago Louro Alves, Diogo Conceição, Carlos Gonçalves, João Louro
Data Science Mentor(s): Qiwei Han and Rodrigo Belo
Project Manager: N. Gizem Bacaksizlar and João Fernandes
Project Partner: The Municipality of Rotterdam

The Municipality of Rotterdam (Gemeente Rotterdam) manages Rotterdam, one of the most modern and touristic cities in the Netherlands, which is inhabited by 600,000 residents. Rotterdam has a unique roof landscape that was created after World War II, where many buildings with flat roofs were built during the city’s reconstruction. There are approximately 14.5km2 of flat roofs in the city and the Municipality of Rotterdam wants to use data to make informed decisions regarding the sustainable usage of its rooftops.

DSSG is helping Rotterdam figure out how improved use of its rooftops could help address challenges with water storage, green spaces and energy generation. The principal goal of the team this summer will be to use aerial and satellite images to identify the current usage of rooftops in Rotterdam.