At The Park, we are pleased to spotlight Scalgo, a Danish software development company at the forefront of advancing sustainable urban planning solutions. In an era marked by accelerating climate change and rapid urbanization, the demand for innovative and robust technologies has become paramount.
Scalgo addresses these challenges through its state-of-the-art platform, Scalgo Live, which leverages advanced algorithms to enable planners and engineers to effectively manage complex surface water systems. Simon Rieger, Market Developer for Sweden and Germany, has played a pivotal role in expanding the reach of Scalgo Live, observing its significant impact on sustainable development across diverse regions.
Founded in Aarhus, Denmark, in 2010, Scalgo began with a focus on the Nordic region and has since rapidly expanded across Europe and into the United States. Rieger, based in Stockholm, emphasises that Scalgo Live is an accessible platform for users working with surface water everywhere. The company’s rapid growth speaks to the scalability and universal appeal of its product: The intuitive interface and ready-made surface water analyses enables easy use of local geographic data, making it a valuable platform for engineers and planners worldwide.
Transforming Data into Actionable Insights
At the heart of Scalgo Live is its exceptional ability to process massive amounts of geographic data. The data is transformed into important insights that planners and engineers can use when solving challenges like extreme flooding. In Scalgo Live, planners can explore the interactions between terrain and surface water. To test solutions for various surface water challenges, the user can re-shape the terrain and quickly evaluate the effects of these changes on water flow.
This functionality is essential for planning climate-resilient urban and rural environments. For example, by analysing how extreme rainfall affect a city’s infrastructure, Scalgo Live enables planners to optimise designs, ultimately creating climate-adapted and sustainable
urban neighbourhoods.
Addressing Geographic Diversity with Localised Data
One of Scalgo’s unique strengths is its ability to integrate and standardise a wide variety of geographic data. Scalgo Live allows urban planners, landscape architects, and engineers to access and process local data specific to their region, while maintaining the platform’s user-friendly and standardised experience.
The consistent user experience in Scalgo Live, regardless of the region, is key to Scalgo’s global expansion, making it easy for users in any region to draw insights from localised datasets without extensive technical expertise.
The user interface in Scalgo Live is designed with focus on simplicity and operates entirely in the web browser. This removes the need for specialised hardware and makes the platform accessible to everyone, regardless of previous experience in hydraulic modeling or GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software.
Supporting Climate Resilience
Climate change affects both urban and rural environments and Scalgo Live is used across various applications, from urban infrastructure to nature restoration. Impacts from flooding and finding good solutions for reducing flood risk has a central focus in cities. Scalgo Live lets urban planners model the impact of extreme rainfall, helping cities adapt to climate change impacts.
Scalgo is continuously refining its tools and developing new possibilities to meet specific, often regionally distinct, needs. Through partnerships with universities and other collaborators Scalgo continues to stay at cutting edge of innovation, advancing terrain and surface water knowledge across multiple fields.
Innovation and Future Outlook
As an agile, fast-growing company, Scalgo is well-positioned to continue its trajectory of rapid expansion. The focus on enabling interdisciplinary applications aligns with the emerging needs of both urban and rural development.
With its user-friendly design, localised data adaptability, and strong support for climate resilience, Scalgo Live is shaping the future of surface water planning and climate adaptation. The company’s commitment to developing technology that can serve diverse sectors, while remaining accessible and scalable, ensures it will remain a vital resource for those tackling the challenges of a changing world.
By enabling urban planners and engineers to make informed decisions based on accurate data and analysis, Scalgo is more than a software provider—it’s a catalyst for sustainable change.
