Hassell associate wins landscape award for using drones to track how city planting grows

Few reliable methods exist for measuring how planted landscapes settle in after installation. Hassell associate Michael White has tested one that relies on drones.

Michael White, an associate at Hassell, has won the Landscape Architecture Award for Research, Policy and Communications at the 2026 Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) NSW Landscape Architecture Awards. The award recognises Aerial Analytics, his study of how drones and spatial data can monitor urban planting as it grows.

The research was funded by a Fellowship from the Landscape Foundation of Australia. Michael, the 2024 Fellow, tested the approach across five Hassell-designed landscapes in New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory. He combined drone surveys, multispectral imaging, point-cloud capture and GIS mapping with checks on the ground to track vegetation cover, plant counts, survival, growth and site conditions from installation through the first year.

The five pilot sites were deliberately varied, from light rail corridors to rooftop meadows and new urban landscapes. They differed in planting palettes, substrates, budgets and installation methods, which let the research test whether the approach worked across a range of conditions rather than on a single project.

Aerial Analytics proposes using drone imagery to create two geolocated GIS planting plans for each project, one ​“as built” and one at 12 months. Together they form a standardised record of how vegetation develops, which can be used to assess individual projects and, over time, to build a broader evidence base on establishing and maintaining landscapes.

“It’s a genuine shift in how the profession can monitor establishment and inform future practice.” 

2026 AILA NSW Jury 

WHAT THE RESEARCH FOUND

• Aerial data can measure what the eye can only estimate. Vegetation cover, plant counts and survival were tracked at five sites.
• Weed detection shows promise but has limits. Mature weeds could be identified, but seedlings were much harder to distinguish, even with strong training data.
• Site conditions affect accuracy. Differences in how soil and substrate reflect light can make it harder to distinguish vegetation from background.
• The biggest barriers aren’t technical. Industry consultation identified unclear performance targets and the difficulty of sustaining long-term monitoring.
• Shared data is more useful. Monitoring individual projects creates insights, while a broader dataset could support better planting decisions across different Australian conditions.

LESSONS FOR PRACTICE

The research shows that better landscapes start with better evidence. Defining what success looks like, measuring performance consistently and drawing on landscape architecture, horticulture and soil science can turn monitoring into knowledge that can improves what is planted, how it is maintained and what comes next.

Pilot sites, landscape designed by Hassell

• Sydney Metro Trials, Castle Hill, NSW
• Green Track Prototype, Canberra, ACT
• First Building, Bradfield, NSW
• Melbourne Arts Precinct Planting Trials, Burnley, Victoria
• Sydney Metro Planting Trials, Orchard Hills, NSW

You can read the full report here: Aerial analytics: Investigating the use of drones and spatial data to assess urban plantings