Press Release
Urban View Demonstrator: How satellite data is boosting urban green spaces and helping cities cool down
OHB develops applications for Bremen and Essen
Bremen, May 14, 2025 - Due to climate change, hot summers are no longer a rarity in Germany. Urban regions with dense development and little vegetation in particular suffer from prolonged periods of heat. Planting trees can help, but when temperatures rise and there is a prolonged drought, young trees in particular have a hard time. Without regular watering, there is a risk that they will die before they can develop their cooling effect.
To provide cities with tools to adapt to climate change, OHB Digital Services GmbH and OHB Digital Connect GmbH are carrying out the Urban View Demonstrator project on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA). In doing so, they are supporting the European goal of developing applications for detecting urban heat islands and monitoring the health of urban trees and green spaces using Earth observation (EO) data.
"We are pleased with the promising results of the Urban Green View feasibility study," says Beatrice Barresi, Senior Sustainable Applications Officer at ESA, "and we are looking forward to the implementation of the project to help cities overcome the challenges of sustainable urban development."
OHB Digital Services GmbH is the prime contractor for the Urban View Demonstrator project, with OHB Digital Connect GmbH acting as subcontractor.
The two companies are working hand in hand on the implementation: while OHB Digital Services is leading the work packages for monitoring urban green spaces, OHB Digital Connect is focusing on urban heat islands. Images from commercial and Copernicus satellites, aerial photographs and in-situ measurements all serve as data sources for the development of both applications.
"With Urban View Demonstrator, we are taking the next important step towards commercial downstream services for urban areas," says Dr. Ingo Schoolmann, project manager at OHB Digital Services. "The services developed as part of the project are important building blocks for us in helping cities to develop as effectively as possible with data-driven decisions," adds Daro Krummrich, Project Manager at OHB Digital Connect.
The cities of Bremen and Essen are supporting the project as pilot users. Both cities are already using digital twins to address urban development issues and to simulate different scenarios. The project plan foresees the integration of the services developed as part of the Urban View Demonstrator project into the cities' existing digital twins, thereby expanding their range of possible uses.
The project will run for two years, during which further pilot users will be sought.
Disclaimer
The Urban View Demonstrator project is funded by ESA under the Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) ARTES 4.0 Downstream Applications Demonstration Projects program.
The opinion expressed in this publication cannot be regarded as the official opinion of the European Space Agency.
Über ESA Space Solutions
ESA Space Solutions helps businesses from all corners of Europe to harness space technology to improve life on Earth. We work side by side with industry, developing space-enabled solutions that will grow your business and bring essential socioeconomic benefits. All our activities have a focus on the green transition and the global shift towards a more digital, sustainable future.
You can find more information here.
About OHB Digital Connect
OHB Digital Connect is a subsidiary of the Bremen-based space and technology group OHB SE.
Our mission: We establish the connection between the ground and space and bring satellite data into application.
We.Connect.Space.
Media Contact
Pia Bausch
Corporate Communications
Phone: +49 421 2020 6511
Email: pia.bausch@ohb.de