Smart cities are using technology to improve the lives of their citizens. From making transportation more efficient to reducing energy consumption, smart cities are finding new ways to use technology to solve problems.

One of the key features of a smart city is its capacity to efficiently gather and leverage data. Through comprehensive data collection, ranging from traffic patterns to energy consumption, smart cities can pinpoint areas in need of enhancement. This data can be instrumental in addressing issues such as traffic congestion, leading to the implementation of solutions like enhanced public transportation or wider roadways. Additionally, smart cities harness technology to enhance the overall well-being of their residents. For instance, sensors can be employed to monitor air quality, while cameras can bolster public safety measures.

The future of smart cities is bright, and Convergint partnered with Axis Communications are here to help state and local governments plan, design, and deploy smart systems to create safe and sustainable cities. As technology continues to evolve, smart cities will become more common and more sophisticated; they will play a vital role in improving the lives of people all over the world.

Technology meets urban planning

Having the resources to completely rethink dense urban areas can be challenging. Most were built well before common urban problems like traffic congestion, pollution, and safety were factored into the equation. What city planners can do is use the power of technology to help address these problems. Surveillance can help cities achieve their sustainability goals.

Safe & scalable

A sustainable city is a safe city, but public safety personnel can feel stretched as a city expands. Axis cameras help law enforcement stay on top of public safety needs, without compromising coverage. Network cameras can detect incidents and provide situational awareness, and when combined with network audio they can be used to trigger events in response to real-time incidents.

Data-driven decisions

A sustainable city is a mobile city, but with an estimated 2 billion vehicles on the road by 2030, there’s a huge strain on cities’ transportation infrastructure. Axis cameras with deep learning can be used as a sensor to collect and process reliable data at the edge. This provides actionable statistics for urban planners and civil and traffic engineers to optimize traffic flow and safety. It can give an understanding of how people and cargo move through a city, detect and classify vehicles and people, detect and understand unsafe areas with frequent near-misses, or discover areas with a high environmental impact.

Environmental health checks

A sustainable city is a healthy city, but how can cities mitigate their high environmental impact? Smart technology combining video-footage and data is an effective tool to measure and monitor water, air, and noise pollution in a city. For example, an air quality sensor combined with a camera provides visual insight along with air quality data. This helps city officials to analyze and see where and when pollution is a problem.

Smart investments for a smarter city

The benefits of smart cities are clear. They can improve efficiency, sustainability, and quality of life. However, the cost of implementing smart city technologies can be challenging, and it’s important for organizations to determine the expected value they want their systems to deliver. It is also cost-effective for buyers in the market for city technology to invest in a solution that has the power and flexibility to follow the evolution of the city’s requirements. Here are examples of how smart city technologies are being used today and what value they capture.

License plate recognition

License plate recognition is an efficient and flexible technology that can be used for several use cases in urban traffic, such as city planning, investigations, traffic violations, and access control for borders, tolls, and parking.

Intelligent traffic lights

These lights can adjust their timing based on traffic conditions, helping to reduce congestion and improve air quality.

Smart parking meters

These meters can send notifications to drivers when a parking spot becomes available, helping to reduce wasted time circling for parking.

Energy-efficient buildings

These buildings use sensors and automation to optimize their energy use, helping to save money and reduce emissions.

Water-saving technologies

These technologies can help to reduce water waste in homes and businesses, helping to conserve water quality.

Learn more

By integrating future-proof solutions that are customizable to every organization, Convergint and Axis can help improve the lives of people all over the world by making cities more efficient, sustainable, and livable. Contact a security expert today to learn more about the technologies and solutions that make up smart cities.

Effective security and safety is a multi-layered approach involving people, processes, and technologies. Convergint-provided products and services are only one part of this multi-layered approach, will not detect or prevent all threats or solve every risk, and should not be your sole method of security or safety. Please see the “IMPORTANT PRODUCT SAFETY AND SERVICE INFORMATION” documentation, available at convergint.com/terms, prior to using a Convergint-installed system.

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