In the image, two women jog at a distance along a tree-lined park path. For them, it’s a moment of calm and reenergising; for the trees, a chance to sustain biodiversity, provide shade, and cool the surroundings. Together, humans and nature create a resilient, breathing space for healthier urban living.
I Hug Trees makes geospatial satellite imagery and environmental analytics accessible to everyone.
Using Sentinel-2 data, we calculate NDVI greenness and NDBI urbanization indices to track vegetation cover, canopy density, and shifts in city landscapes.
These insights reveal where neighborhoods are cooling, where biodiversity is thinning, and where the green balance is shifting.
Beyond urban greenery, our analytics extend to wider environmental issues such as CO₂ emissions, and biodiversity loss areas where satellite and open datasets provide timely, science-driven visibility.
Methods note: All datasets are processed on cloud infrastructure (AWS) and fetched via the Microsoft Planetary Computer for Sentinel-2 access. While grounded in scientific principles, outputs are presented in accessible formats so that technical imagery and calculations resonate with ordinary people and communities.
Because only when it is relatable, can it tell clear stories about our greenery and urban life: shaping how we live, how we breathe, and how we cope with rising heat.
To learn more, explore Urban Forestry on Wikipedia or visit our own Urban Forestry insights on I Hug Trees - A daily digest.
Fresh insights on urban canopy and greenness are published regularly: monthly, half-yearly, and for selected special reports: using Sentinel-2 NDVI and NDBI analysis. These updates track how cities and regions around the world are changing in terms of vegetation, tree cover, and ecological balance. Each post highlights satellite-derived greenness indicators with clear, easy-to-read visuals and ongoing comparisons over time, making complex data simple and relatable for everyone.
Sentinel-2 NDVI and NDBI analysis showing greenness distribution, urban green cover trends and built up analysis for Melbourne city and suburbs.
Sentinel-2 NDVI and NDBI analysis showing greenness distribution and urban green cover trends for Chennai city and suburbs.
Monthly greenness observatory update for Bangalore city with Sentinel-2 derived NDVI AND NDBI values and city canopy mapping.
Global CO₂ emissions
Mapping our planet’s biodiversity and land use
Explore global biodiversity loss with interactive maps of the 25 countries that host the most threatened species.
The data visualizations, content, and insights on this page are shared under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) license. This means you are free to use, share, and adapt the materials, as long as you give proper credit to "I Hug Trees." Attribution ensures that the time and effort behind creating and sharing this knowledge are acknowledged.
The visualization chart is courtesy of "I Hug Trees - Data Analytics" . The primary dataset comes from [Data Source link – e.g. UN Data] or other third-party sources.