iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

What trees grow in your neighborhood? 🌳 We mapped 16.3 million individual trees across #BadenWürttemberg by genus to support ecologists, planners, and health researchers. The dataset, code & training annotations are #opensource and designed to be adapted to other regions. 👉https://buff.ly/LUgnW1t

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 30/09/2026

#openrouteservice releases a v 10.0.0 It modernizes the technical foundation of the engine. ORS is free & #opensource routing engine built on #OpenStreetMap data. It delivers directions, isochrones and distance matrices; supports heat-resilient mobility & humanitarian routing. buff.ly/Vn7sLtZ

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 29/09/2026

We estimated CO2 emissions from residential heating in Germany at 100 m resolution, using #opendata. Cities emit most in total but often less per person than rural areas. Over half of homes predate 1979 & 80% heat with gas, oil, coal or wood, so switching could cut emissions fast. 👉 buff.ly/a9lQqbl

Cover announcing a new paper on a high-resolution residential heating emissions tool using open data, set against colorful steep-roofed houses and distant cathedral spires under a cloudy sky.

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 22/09/2026

🚲 Map of the Month Using the Climate Action Navigator, we looked at Bologna's cycling network. 30% of cycling paths are shared with cars under a 30 km/h speed limit, showing how traffic regulation and cycling infrastructure work together in urban mobility. buff.ly/K1L9Eb8 #ZeDay #WorldCarFreeDay

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 21/09/2026

Seven of eight safe and just Earth System Boundaries have already been breached. A new paper in Nature Human Behaviour asks what this means for health equity, and why responsibility cannot rest on individuals alone. buff.ly/ckdHozZ

Collage linking wildfire smoke, a drought-stricken farmer by a dead tree, and a mosquito biting an arm to illustrate climate and environmental drivers of rising health inequities; overlaid headline: "NEW PAPER — Rising health inequities require looking beyond health systems."

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 17/09/2026

With shadow data, we are building tools for climate-resilient urban planning. Free shade data for 136 cities in 44 European countries, plus two tools that use it. hiShade shows where shade is missing in a walkable network. Our routing tool finds walking routes. buff.ly/Un08NG6

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 16/09/2026

Tropical mosquitoes are now local 🦟 In Heidelberg, we found Aedes albopictus breeding depends on urban structure: terraced housing hosted most sites, multi-family the least. Control reduces breeding, but unmanaged private plots remain the weak point. Local strategies matter. buff.ly/OCR1EdJ

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 15/09/2026

What makes a street a place people want to walk? 🚶 HeiGIT and the Walk21 Foundation have expanded hiWalk assessment tool in the Climate Action Navigator with new indicators for tree shade, path lighting, tactile paving, nearby amenities, & many more. More: buff.ly/sTDJTQI #ClimateAction #Cities

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 10/09/2026

The European cities with the most heat stress days have the least shade along their cycle paths. 🚴 Our new indicator for the 2026 #LancetCountdown Europe Cities Report measures tree shade along cycle paths in 885 European cities. 👉 buff.ly/OwRJ1Hr #ClimateAction #OpenStreetMap

title: "How heat-resilient is cycling infrastructure in European cities? A new indicator for the Lancet Countdown". The graphic also shows a cycling road exposed to the sun.

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 11/08/2026

New tree shade indicator on our Climate Action Navigator maps tree shade street by street. Local governments & civil society organizations get a free, detailed view of where shade helps & where it is missing, so they know where new trees matter most. Blog: buff.ly/r6Vx8yd Tool: buff.ly/Jh1rz0S

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 29/07/2026

It´s been a year since we released hiWalk: a free resource for cities and NGOs to assess walkability and discover the potential for making their cities more livable. Use it to see where infrastructure improvements would have the most impact in your city: climate-action.heigit.org/dashboard/pl...

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 15/07/2026

Our very first newsletter is out! It´s about big changes in openrouteservice, heat-aware mobility projects from Germany to Tanzania, new geoinformatics publications & more: mailings.heigit.org/m/17210084/5... Sign up to have the next one delivered to your inbox: mailings.heigit.org/f/386599-406...

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 06/07/2026

We have a new tool to visualize which buildings have solar panels, and where there is potential to produce more sustainable energy. Cities and NGOs can use it to develop targeted strategies to make their city less dependent on fossil fuels. Find out more: heigit.org?p=43119

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 03/07/2026

HeiGIT started as a university project 10 years ago. Today, we are a non-profit organization with 70+ people and dozens of running projects on open-source geodata, GIS software and research for the benefit of the environment and society. A great reason to celebrate at our team retreat this week! 🎂

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 02/07/2026

𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝟰.𝟲 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵’𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 #𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 🌍 Deep Time Walk turns Earth’s history into a 4.6 km walk, where every meter represents one million years. Using OpenStreetMap data, the Route Creator helps facilitators plan accurate routes. More info 👉 buff.ly/oH09FYF

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 29/06/2026

Looking for high-res data for your work in climate-resilient urban planning, sustainable mobility, or local emission reduction policies? Explore the potential for climate action in your city on the Climate Action Navigator dashboard: climate-action.heigit.org More info: heigit.org/climate-acti...

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 24/06/2026

We are starting our own newsletter! It will be sent out every few weeks, to give you a glimpse behind the scenes of geoinformation technologies for humanitarian aid and climate action. 📩 Subscribe here to have it delivered to you email inbox: mailings.heigit.org/f/386599-406...

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 11/06/2026

How do you calculate shade for multiple cities in real time? We want to share the technology behind our heat-avoiding routing and explain how it can be adapted to the specific needs of cities & municipalities. heigit.org/introducing-... #hitzeaktionstag

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 02/06/2026

Climate change challenges every city differently. What are you tackling in your city? One year ago, we launched the Climate Action Navigator, an open dashboard with actionable data to build climate-resilient cities: buff.ly/vZZiNG8 Read more about its journey and applications: buff.ly/OgOc8zx

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 21/05/2026

We´ve built a heat-avoiding routing app available in 80 German cities. It calculates pedestrian routes based on high-resolution shadow data, steering people away from sun-exposed roads. Want to co-develop it further based on your city`s data & needs? 📩 heal@heigit.org 👉 heigit.org/heat-resilie...

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 13/05/2026

Another summer is approaching. What if routing could account for heat? Soon, we are releasing heat-avoiding routing for 80 major German cities & looking for municipalities to co-develop it and shape it to their local needs. 👉 heal@heigit.org #HeatAdaptation #SmartCity #OpenSource #Klimaanpassung

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 11/05/2026

🚗💨New #OpenData tool to assess traffic emissions: The Climate Action Navigator, our interactive dashboard to aid urban #ClimateAction, can now also estimate transport emissions for all main roads in Germany, showing where policy changes (e. g. car-free areas) are most needed: buff.ly/h9vxgyW

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 07/05/2026

🗺️ ohsomeNow Stats got a major upgrade! Individual statistics of #OpenStreetMap mappers are now available. Log in with your HeiGIT account to explore your OSM contribution history. 📑 Read more on our blog: heigit.org/new-user-sta... 📊 Explore OSM stats with ohsomeNow: stats.now.ohsome.org

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 22/04/2026

🗺️𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 – 𝗦𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗭𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗵, 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝘇𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 Urban cycling depends also on the terrain. This map shows the slope of bike paths in Zurich, showing where action might be needed to make urban mobility more inclusive and accessible. More bikeability data: climate-action.heigit.org

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 15/04/2026

We are proud to support the Common Space initiative of creating an #OpenData infrastructure with an independent, high-resolution humanitarian satellite mission. More on our blog: heigit.org/why-access-t... Common Space initiative website: www.commonspace.world Our letter of support 👇️

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 09/04/2026

How reliable is #OpenStreetMap data for routing?🚙 In our latest blog post, we take a closer look at routing distance and travel time estimations and explain what drives the differences between OSM and commercial alternatives like Google Maps, with the help of the ohsome dashboard: buff.ly/6vLATVQ

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 01/04/2026

Our team has been working in a collaborative sprint format to explore new features for the Climate Action Navigator. Some of the indicators we worked on in our latest development sprint: 🚗daily road traffic volume 💧wastewater treatment emissions 🚵slope-based mobility Blog: heigit.org/behind-the-s...

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 27/03/2026

It´s been a fun and insightful week at the #FOSSGIS2026 in Göttingen. See you again next year... in Heidelberg! We are looking forward to being the host of the FOSSGIS conference 2027 and welcoming the DACH open source GIS community at Heidelberg University. #FOSSGIS2027 #opensource #GIS

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 16/03/2026

How can cities turn data into real climate action? At #REALCORP 2026, HeiGIT will present how the #ClimateActionNavigator supports data-driven decision-making on emissions, active mobility, and renewable energy. 🔍 More info: buff.ly/hzZDTdO 🔗 CAN: buff.ly/JEd0eqD

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 12/03/2026

Germany halved its CO2 emissions since 1979 . Yet emissions are still too high to comply with the Paris Agreement. We´ve looked at historic emissions trends and remaining emission budgets for 5 German cities: Berlin, Bonn, Hamburg, Heidelberg & Karlsruhe: 🔗 buff.ly/6tMvWcO

Text: Climate Action Navigator. Can German Cities still meet climate goals? A look at emission trends and CO2 budgets.
Image: City outlines of Berlin, Bonn, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, and Hamburg, in increasingly light shades of blue.

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 05/03/2026

How far is too far to reach a school or clinic? OpenAccessLens maps global access to education & healthcare using travel-time data, helping humanitarian orgs, planners & researchers find the gaps. Open-source. Community-driven. 🌍 👉 heigit.org/a-map-is-bet... #OpenData #PublicHealth

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 25/02/2026

🗺️ 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵: 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗚𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 💡 The Heating Emissions tool in HeiGIT's climate action navigator estimates CO2 emissions from residential heating. 🔗 Tool: buff.ly/Oc4zTJN 🔍 More Info: buff.ly/h0mk1F4

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 17/02/2026

We are proud to share that the Sketch Map Tool was strategically used in Cali, Colombia In Cali, the project worked with the communities of Pance and Comuna 18, encouraging participatory mapping that puts citizens at the heart of risk analysis. 🔍 Read More: buff.ly/ibg7zF6 #SketchMapTool #CaliCo

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 12/02/2026

We´ve released a #QGIS plugin and new datasets to make it easier for humanitarian organizations to assess disaster risk. Now they can run tailored risk assessments without advanced coding. And even skip most data processing. All #OpenData. Video tutorial & datasets: heigit.org/open-risk-as...

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 11/02/2026

Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science! 🌍✨ Today, we honor #WomenInScience whose groundbreaking achievements continue to shape and inspire their fields. This map shows all the places where women from HeiGIT have studied, worked, done research, and shared their knowledge. #WomenInSTEM

A graphic visualizing global paths of women at HeiGIT

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 05/02/2026

🚴 How bike friendly is your city? A BIKE Index uses open data and open source tools like #openrouteservice to benchmark cycling conditions across EU cities. By simulating 210 routes per city, the study shows where cycling works well & where infrastructure slows riders down. 🔗 tinyurl.com/2jxpa2ja

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 03/02/2026

📢 Call for Papers BMC Environmental Science’s Collection, “AI for environmental and climate modeling,” is open for submissions. We welcome interdisciplinary research linking environmental science, climate science, AI, and computational modelling. 🗓️ 9.10.2026 🔗 buff.ly/ZjrCt9c

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 28/01/2026

🌍 Let’s make International #ReducingCO2 Emissions Day a local practice. Cities and communities are key to cutting emissions, but action needs the right tools. The Climate Action Navigator supports local #climateaction by providing data-driven insights. 👉 climate-action.heigit.org/dashboard

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 22/01/2026

How do you analyse #OpenStreetMap data at the pace it is produced? The latest release of ohsome-planet introduces minutely updates, delivering continuously up-to-date, GIS-ready OSM data in GeoParquet—ready for analysis with DuckDB, GeoPandas, or QGIS. Learn more: buff.ly/abUmuPa #opendata #GIS

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 21/01/2026

Heidelberg University is at the center of #OpenStreetMap research and Alexander Zipf is the most prolific author in this field, according to a study that analyzed over 15 years of OSM research. An interesting reading for the #OSM community & all #VGI researchers: arxiv.org/pdf/2601.09338

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 20/01/2026

How can we embed #innovation into our daily work? 🤔 We create space to experiment with new ideas & technologies without immediate pressure to deliver results. This mindset led to Innovation Summer, making room to explore new ideas. How do you develop new ideas? 🔍 heigit.org?p=41714 #research

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 16/01/2026

HGG Lecture: “The Forest After the Last Ice Age in the Landscape of Germany – Researching Forest History with the Help of Fossil Pollen” 📆 Jan 20, 7:15 pm 📍 Lecture Hall 2, KIP, HD 🗣️ Dr. Susanne Jahns 💡 Lecture in German 👉 heigit.org/events/hgg-l...

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 15/01/2026

We conducted a #GIS training for #PublicHealth with @roteskreuz.bsky.social, @croixrouge.bsky.social, the Colombian Red Cross & @rki.de. Key lesson: if health professionals and information managers work together, they can translate complex data into high-quality results heigit.org/gis-training...

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 13/01/2026

🚶‍♀️ How do you move around #Mannheim? Share your experience! As part of the Silver Ways project, we are inviting everyone to participate in our #mobility survey and help us better understand #walking needs, barriers, and preferences in Mannheim. 👉 tinyurl.com/47yuf32w #research #GIS #opendata

this graphic shows people at a road crossing

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 08/01/2026

openrouteservice use-case: how equitable is access to urban green space? A recent study used openrouteservice to analyse walking accessibility to culturally valued green spaces in Jakarta. Network-based travel times revealed clear socioeconomic inequalities. 👉 heigit.org?p=41611

The graphic shows a GBK Sports Complex in Jakarta

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 30/12/2025

We’ve updated the Climate Action Navigator to make data-driven local #climateaction easier 🌍 🔍 High-resolution data on walkability & bikeability, heating emissions, CO₂ budget, & land-use change ⚡ Faster vector-based maps 🌐 Interface now in English & German 📄 PDF reports climate-action.heigit.org

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 24/12/2025

Happy holidays🎄 Thanks to our partners and collaborators for advancing open geoinformation technologies with us in 2025 for the benefit of society and the environment. Together, we turn geospatial data into insights for humanitarian response and climate action. Our milestones tinyurl.com/evbycst9

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 23/12/2025

We have released and deployed a new version of ohsome-dashboard & of ohsome-quality-api to production 🎉 What´s new? German translation, a new welcome screen and an extended search interface. Oqapi extended its support for currentness to all topics. Happy Analyzing! 🙂 dashboard.ohsome.org

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 22/12/2025

What if urban traffic speeds could be estimated using only #opendata? Our work combines #OpenStreetMap and Street View Imagery to infer #traffic speed classes across a whole city. The focus is on long-term, typical traffic patterns and spatial completeness. Case study: Berlin tinyurl.com/2hsdjuzw

new paper on road speed classes. the image shows a part of the workflow of the proposed speed class prediction framework

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HeiGIT @heigit.org · 19/12/2025

How to use Earth observation data and techniques in studying different domains of disaster management? 🌍 Our contributions featured in Data-Driven Earth Observation for Disaster Management: From Theory to Practical Applications talks exactly about that! Read more 👉 buff.ly/xqN9RHj

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