Madrid AI Urban Green Infrastructure Management

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Madrid AI Urban Green Infrastructure Management

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Madrid city government has approved a €2.9 million contract to integrate artificial intelligence into the management of parks, green areas, and municipal nurseries, running for 36 months starting February 2026. The system covers over 6,000 hectares of parks, gardens, and green areas across more than 200 sites in one of Europe's largest urban green management programmes. The AI system combines inputs from vehicle-mounted and fixed cameras, satellite imagery, and environmental and operational datasets. These inputs are used to prioritize maintenance activities, optimize irrigation planning, monitor the phytosanitary condition of trees and plant life, and support day-to-day decision-making of municipal teams. The programme marks a shift from experimentation to structured, budget-backed deployment, treating green infrastructure as an operational asset rather than a passive environment. Madrid's green infrastructure budget exceeds €130 million annually. Comparable deployments in Barcelona already use AI-optimized irrigation based on soil conditions and weather patterns, reducing water consumption. Rotterdam uses AI-driven urban tree inventories for structured forestry management, and Lyon deploys sensor-based energy and water management in green districts.

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