Page 24 - Security Today, April 2021

“The general concept of Smart Cities
– leveraging technology to improve livability – holds promise for communities of all sizes; large and small.”
Tasked with overall public safety, their key areas of focus will likely be:
• Deterring and investigating crime
• Fostering trust
• Improving the community’s reputation
Perhaps the best way to approach the Smart City conversation with this group is through a discussion of policy related to using video technology in public spaces. Start with defining the purpose of the camera system and how the stakeholders will prioritize device placement. Talk about access control – who can view the video and who authorizes sharing it. How will personally iden- tifiable information be protected, used and redacted? How long will video be retained? How will video be destroyed when it’s no longer needed?
By raising these questions, an integrator encourages stake- holders to think critically and more broadly about policy topics. This, in turn, will help them draft policies that will contribute to a positive city image and build community trust. In this way, the technology solutions selected will be more likely to achieve their intended outcomes and yield long term value rather than become gateways to unintended consequences.
TALKING WITH TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENTS
You may find transportation management stakeholders resid- ing in the local city or county Department of Transportation or in the Public Works Department. There may also be stakehold- ers who work for outsourced professional services or engineering firm.
What do these stakeholders care about most?
• Reducing traffic congestion
• Eliminating injuries and fatalities related to transportation ac-
cidents
• Implementing data communications relating to connected and
autonomous vehicles
Traffic congestion may be the most universal of all city chal-
lenges. With so much surplus demand for mobility filling road- ways to capacity, the need for technology solutions that can safely increase corridor throughput and reduce commute times is para- mount.
Speaking to those concerns, integrators can discuss how video analytics can automate dynamic traffic signal control. Instead of relying on static programs based on traffic studies performed ev- ery five-to-seven years, the intersection signal controllers would receive real-time data from cameras and dynamically adjust sig- nal timing and phase based on current conditions to keep traffic flowing.
Another topic dear to the hearts of transportation stakehold- ers is something called “Vision Zero” – the goal of reducing ma- jor injuries and fatalities from transportation accidents down to zero. Listen to what these stakeholders have done so far to reach this objective – what has worked in the past and what hasn’t. This can help you better understand what technologies to offer that would progress them toward that goal.
While autonomous vehicles are certainly another hot topic for
Smart Cities. It centers on emerging computer science, is satu- rated with academic research initiatives and lies outside the scope of most technology integration businesses.
TALKING WITH THOSE IN CHARGE OF RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY
Most large metropolitan centers have an Office of Sustainabil- ity and/or an Office of Resilience. You may find someone in the city’s organizational chart with the title of Chief Sustainability Officer or Chief Resilience Officer. Smaller cities and towns may not necessarily have those departments or titles, so you’ll have to dig a little deeper to identify which local official has the responsi- bility and passion for these issues.
What are the top concerns for these stakeholders?
• Economic development
• Resilience to natural and manmade disasters
• A solid framework for sustainable development goals
While sustainability is often equated with green or environ- mental initiatives, there are actually 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) defined by the United Nations. They run the gamut from reducing poverty, hunger and inequality, to protecting the environment, providing access to affordable and sustainable en- ergy and strengthening global partnerships.
Research indicates that most cities use some or all of the SDGs as a guidepost for their own sustainability efforts. In a survey of 167 cities, which ESI Thought labs encapsulated in a study called “Smart City Solutions for a Riskier World,” 76 percent of par- ticipants reported that they incorporated each of the UN SDGs into their plans. Goals with the highest focus included eliminating poverty, providing quality education, decent work and economic growth. To win over these stakeholders and sponsors, an inte- grator should speak to how their proposed technologies can help the local government reach these goals for the betterment of the community.
Mitigating impacts from urban flooding is another common concern of cities, and it highlights socioeconomic disparities in our communities. The 2017 report by The World Bank titled “Unbreakable: Building the Resilience of the Poor in the Face of Natural Disaster”1 points out that “poor people are often exposed to frequent, low-intensity events, such as the recurrent floods that affect many cities with insufficient drainage infrastruc- ture, are nearly twice as likely to live in fragile dwellings, receive
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APRIL 2021 | SECURITY TODAY
SAFE CITIES
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