By Erin McDannald
From the August 2024 Issue
Imagine a university campus where traffic flows seamlessly, guided by real-time data on congestion and optimal routes. There’s always a place to park when students are running late to class, and pedestrian footpaths are both accessible and well-lit. As the concept of “smart cities” has gained popularity in urban development, a movement for creating sustainable, efficient, and livable spaces on college campuses has emerged. Smart cities leverage cutting-edge technology to enhance urban life, and adapting these ideas at a smaller scale can make universities and campuses safer, greener, and more responsive to the needs of students, faculty, and community members.
As the concept of “smart cities” has gained popularity in urban development, a movement for creating sustainable, efficient, and livable spaces on college campuses has emerged.
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers a transformative opportunity to enhance the quality of life in urban settings. From optimizing traffic flow to improving college campus safety, the possibilities are endless.
Traffic Patterns And Management
Smart technology is transforming how we navigate cities. Take traffic, for instance. By using real-time data, tech-enabled traffic management systems can adjust street lights and reroute vehicles, reducing delays and enhancing safety for everyone, especially in busy pedestrian areas. Especially for urban areas that have grown in population faster than the infrastructure, this technology is critical for livability.
These systems constantly monitor traffic with sensors and cameras, identifying congestion points and adjusting signals accordingly. For example, during rush hour, they can extend green lights on main roads to keep traffic moving, while at quieter times, they prioritize pedestrian crossings and side street traffic. This flexibility not only improves travel times but also reduces accidents by managing traffic flow more effectively.
On a college campus, the same smart technology can be used to monitor and manage pedestrian traffic at busy crosswalks, ensuring student safety while minimizing disruptions to vehicle flow, particularly during class change periods. Further, this data can be used to inform how an institution approaches maintenance projects, providing insight into which routes are the most heavily utilized and when. By navigating around these key thoroughfares or planning for off-hours work, facilities teams can minimize the impact on campus life during construction.
These smart traffic systems also contribute to a greener environment, cutting down on idle times and unnecessary stops or bottlenecks. This can help to lower vehicle emissions, leading to cleaner air for the university and surrounding communities.
Smart Parking Solutions
Parking is often a major source of frustration in urban areas—especially on university campuses when students are in a time crunch to park and get to class—but smart technology offers a transformative solution. Sensors can be used to detect available parking spaces and direct drivers to them in real time, eliminating the need to drive around the block again to find a spot. This significantly reduces on-road congestion and the environmental impact of wasted gasoline.
Much like their application at the city level, parking space sensors can be linked to apps that help track availability, providing real-time updates to students and staff. They can even be programmed to distinguish between parking designations, routing community members to the appropriate visitor spots, and reducing unnecessary confusion. This feature further alleviates congestion and enhances the overall efficiency of campus and urban parking management.
Enhancing College Campus Safety, Efficiency
Smart city technologies equipped with advanced camera systems can recognize when a crime is being committed on campus and automatically alert security personnel. The AI can be trained to detect specific sounds, objects, or behavior that may be of concern, such as gunshots, weapons, or crowds displaying aggression. Within buildings, these systems can also optimize energy efficiency by recognizing occupancy patterns and adjusting lighting or air flow accordingly.
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AI-powered crime mapping is a game-changer for safety. By analyzing crime data, these systems can pinpoint high-risk areas and times, allowing police to allocate resources more effectively. Predictive analytics can even foresee potential criminal activities based on past trends, enabling faster responses and preventative measures. For instance, if 90% of people walk a certain route, additional security can be deployed along these paths. For a university, this technology can alert campus security in real time to respond to potential threats to student health or safety — an important accessibility feature for students that might not otherwise be able to call for help.
Wayfinding and heat mapping are other areas where smart technology can be beneficial. By analyzing the movement patterns of people on campus, universities can improve security and optimize the placement of resources. This data can inform master planning and capital improvement projects, as well as ensure that campus developments align with actual usage patterns.
The journey toward fully realized smart cities is ongoing, with continuous advancements in technology paving the way for new applications and improvements. By integrating AI and other smart technologies, cities, and campuses of all sizes can enhance traffic management, public safety, and energy efficiency.
McDannald is the CEO and co-owner of Lighting Environments and its sister companies, Elevated and Environments. Prior to launching Elevated, Erin has guided clients throughout the lighting design and construction process for over two decades.
Do you have a comment? Share your thoughts in the Comments section below, or send an e-mail to the Editor at jen@groupc.com.
