Smart lampposts could tackle Covid-19 and aid retail recovery

Smart lampposts, capable of reading body temperatures and detecting overcrowding, could stop the spread of Covid-19 and regenerate cities, according to a report from UrbanDNA, Hydro, Itron, Lucy Zodion, Signify and the Smart City Infrastructure Fund.

These can also incorporate CCTV, air quality sensors, flooding monitors, digital signage, and 5G WiFi hotspots.

In Barcelona, the City Council has developed a camera-based solution attached to lampposts in the Las Ramblas area to ensure public health on beaches and implement crowd control measures.

Westminster City Council in London, meanwhile, is looking at ways of using lighting to nudge people away from potentially crowded tube exits around Oxford Street.

Los Angeles already has more than 400 smart street lights, equipped with electronic vehicle chargers, and the city is looking to pilot air quality sensors, fire spotters, gunshot locators and earthquake sensors.

Richard Perry, Lucy Zodion's Smart Cities Head of Business Development, says: “The pandemic has been highly revealing regarding smart city infrastructure, and the need to improve our way of working to drive further efficiencies.“

“The key takeaway from the report is the amount of untapped potential that exists. We have seen forward thinking cities such as London, Barcelona, and Copenhagen leading the way, and individually they are only accessing a small proportion of what the 'humble lamppost' can offer.”

He adds: “We don't know when we will be finally Covid free, but as we slowly ease restrictions, new measures will be needed to keep everyone and the economy safe.”

“By using their existing infrastructure, local authorities can smarten their lighting assets making their public spaces safer, healthier and bag the bankable financial savings that result from smart lighting upgrades – which typically exceed 50%.”