Tallinn to use satellite images to detect unregistered buildings

Tallinn will use satellite imagery to identify potentially illegal buildings, with the system due to be ready for use from January, ERR reported.

The Tallinn Urban Planning Department has signed a contract with Datel to use satellite-based analysis in construction oversight. The tool will compare satellite images with data in Estonia’s Building Register and flag buildings that are missing from the register or recorded inaccurately.

The platform will also provide older orthophotos to help assess when a building or extension was constructed. It will flag structures whose recorded footprint differs significantly from the area listed in the register. The analysis will cover all of Tallinn except Aegna island.

The satellite imagery will be produced this year. Deputy Mayor Tiit Terik said the data would help the city track changes and organise construction oversight more effectively, allowing officials to process more information quickly and focus on cases that need attention.

Eva-Maria Meristo, head of the Urban Planning Department’s construction oversight division, said the tool would help officials spot changes to buildings earlier and concentrate on more complex cases. If an inspection finds a discrepancy, the city will assess whether the building can be brought into compliance and under what conditions.

Datel’s space division head, Oliver Stimmer, said the service, called Catanova, was developed by Datel in cooperation with the European Space Agency. The company has so far mainly offered the machine-learning-based detection service to local governments in Spain. Stimmer said satellite-based monitoring can analyse large areas using a consistent method without requiring an on-site inspection for every possible discrepancy.