Smart Streets: Definition, Principles, and Infrastructural Elements

Abstract

Shopping streets are the lifeblood of rural towns performing a number of important economic, social, and environmental functions. Streets represent a public realm that is actively and passively consumed depending on how it is structured as a public space. These structures result from historic forces and planning processes that highly influence the norms for how such a space evolves, is moved through, and consumed by individuals or groups. In recent decades, stakeholders have sought to leverage technological advances to combine traditional elements of the public realm with cyber-physical systems to generate intelligence from data analysis in order to modify behaviour and optimise operations and services. While the overwhelming focus of existing research and policy focus is on "smart cities", there are significant potential benefits for rural communities. However, for many rural towns, the investment required for a "smart town" initiative is prohibitive. We posit that a smart street is more feasible and manageable for rural towns. This paper presents a working definition of a smart street, proposes a series of principles for smart street design, and identifies exemplar infrastructural elements to deliver widely accepted policies and behaviours.

Full text

Smart Streets: Definition, Principles, and Infrastructural Elements
Theo Lynn
Irish Institute of Digital Business,
Dublin City University,
Dublin, Ireland.
Email: theo.lynn@dcu.ie
Pierangelo Rosati
Irish Institute of Digital Business,
Dublin City University,
Dublin, Ireland.
Email: pierangelo.rosati@dcu.ie
Grace Fox
Irish Institute of Digital Business,
Dublin City University,
Dublin, Ireland.
Email: grace.fox@dcu.ie
Abstract—Shopping streets are the lifeblood of rural towns
performing a number of important economic, social, and environ-
mental functions. Streets represent a public realm that is actively
and passively consumed depending on how it is structured as
a public space. These structures result from historic forces and
planning processes that highly influence the norms for how such a
space evolves, is moved through, and consumed by individuals or
groups. In recent decades, stakeholders have sought to leverage
technological advances to combine traditional elements of the
public realm with cyber-physical systems to generate intelligence
from data analysis in order to modify behaviour and optimise
operations and services. While the overwhelming focus of existing
research and policy focus is on “smart cities”, there are significant
potential benefits for rural communities. However, for many rural
towns, the investment required for a “smart town” initiative is
prohibitive. We posit that a smart street is more feasible and
manageable for rural towns. This paper presents a working
definition of a smart street, proposes a series of principles
for smart street design, and identifies exemplar infrastructural
elements to deliver widely accepted policies and behaviours.
Keywords–Smart Cities; Smart Towns; Smart Street; Street.
I. INTRODUCTION
Over the next three decades, there is expected to be a
decline in rural living as rural dwellers migrate to cities; the
UN forecasts over 68% of the worldwide population will live
in urban areas by 2050 [1]. The growth in urbanization is
resulting in significant strain on housing, transportation, energy
systems and other infrastructure [1]. Smart city initiatives that
leverage advances in sensor, cloud computing, networking, and
data science technologies are widely cited as a key solution to
rapid, global urbanization [2][3]. Extant Smart City research
projects focus on wide variety of domains including:
•Business – advertising, agriculture, entrepreneurship
and innovation, enterprise management, logistics, and
transactional commerce;
•Citizen - education, entertainment, health, public
transport, traffic management, and tourism;
•Environment – building, housing, pollution control
and waste management, public space, renewable en-
ergy and smart grids, and waste management;
•Government – city monitoring, e-government, emer-
gency response, public safety, public service and trans-
parency [4][5].
The quality of smartness is derived from the use of (i) near-
real-time data obtained from physical and virtual sensors; (ii)
the interconnection between different services and technologies
within the urban area; (iii) the intelligence from the analysis
of the data and the process of visualising it; and (iv) the
optimisation of operations resulting from this analysis [6].
While the overwhelming focus of existing research and policy
focuses on smart cities, such technology can benefit any
urban area seeking to use data to optimise operations [6].
This includes rural towns and more granular spaces, including
streets. Indeed, some researchers propose that smart streets are
the building blocks of any smart city architecture [7].
Streets are not merely thoroughfares that connect one point
with another. The public perform a wide range of activities
in streets that can be categorised as mandatory (e.g., going
to work or school), selective (shopping, wandering or sitting
and watching street life), or social (having conversations) [8].
Human behaviour in streets can be classified as moving, visual
perception, and resting behaviours, and can occur discretely,
successively, and concurrently [8]. As such, it is a public
realm that is actively and passively consumed depending on
how it is structured as a public space. These structures highly
influence the norms for how such a space is moved through
and consumed by individuals or groups [9]. Streets comprise
a number of tangible and intangible elements that need to be
taken in to account (see Table I).
TABLE I. EL EME NT S OF TH E STR EE T (ADA PTE D AN D EXT EN DED
FRO M [10][11])
Tangible
Elements
Primary
Vertical Buildings, railway bridges, etc.
Horizontal
Floors Roadbeds,
footpaths, etc.
Ceiling Skyline,
covering, etc.
Underground Utility
channels, etc.
Secondary Street
furniture
Benches, lamp posts, waste
receptacles, storage units, utility
cabinets, signage, etc.
Intangible
Elements
Natural
Short
term
Light, seasons, organic
growth, etc.
Long
term Precipitation, wind, etc.
Human Administrative, economic, social, culture
history, etc.
Behavioural Humans, moving objects
Shopping streets are the lifeblood of rural towns. In ad-
dition to connectivity, they perform a number of important
economic, social, and environmental functions. They not only
serve the functional and utilitarian needs of local residents but
can attract tourists and day trip shoppers thus supporting a
greater range of shops than the local population could support
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ICDS 2020 : The Fourteenth International Conference on Digital Society

alone [12]. After decades, if not centuries, of resistance to the
impact of global economic and societal change, the resilience
of main streets of rural towns worldwide are being threatened
by urbanization, online shopping, and now, COVID19. Cyber-
physical infrastructure in the public realm can attract new
users to a street, and decrease or increase (un)desired use
and behaviour, depending on policy priorities. However, such
infrastructure does not impact all activities and behaviour in
the same way (see Table II).
TABLE II. HUMAN BEHAVIOUR IN THE STREET (ADAP TED F ROM [8],
[10])
Moving
Behaviour
Visual
Perception
Resting Impact of
Public Realm
Mandatory
(must be
performed)
Going
somewhere
Seeing out of
necessity
Stopping or
resting on the
way to
somewhere
Not significant
Activity
Selective
(undertak at
will and as
space allows)
Wandering for
something
Seeing out of
interest
Stopping or
resting out of
interest
Sensitive
Social
(undertake
because they
are in a public
space)
Going to do
something
Seeing to do
something
Stopping or
sitting to do
something
More active in
a conductive
environment
than a poor one
This paper has three objectives. Firstly, to address the gap
in the literature on smart streets, we seek to define a smart
street in Section II. Secondly, we present a series of design
principles to guide the design of smart street initiatives in
Section III. While we focus on rural shopping streets, these
principles can be generalised for any street. Thirdly, to identify
exemplar infrastructural elements for smart streets that support
the proposed design principles, and deliver on widely accepted
policies and behaviors (Section IV).
II. TOWAR DS A D EFI NI TI ON O F A SMA RT STR EE T
There have been numerous attempts to define a smart city
(e.g., [13][14]). To arrive at a unified definition of a smart city,
Ramaprasad et al. [14] suggest that such a definition comprises
conceptualisations of smartness and city by stakeholders (e.g.,
Citizens, Professionals, Communities, Institutions, Businesses,
and Governments) and their desired outcomes (e.g., Sustain-
ability, Quality of Life, Equity, Livability, and Resilience). For
Ramaprasad et al. [14], this quality of smartness comprises
structures (architectures, infrastructure, systems, processes,
etc.), functions (sensing, monitoring, communicating etc.),
one or more foci (economic, social, infrastructural, etc.), and
semiotics (data, information, and knowledge). They identify
22,500 components that can be instantiated in innumerable
different ways to deliver a smart city. We posit that while
academically sound, this approach is unwieldy and impractical
on the ground. Similarly, while other papers define the quality
of smartness in a broad way to include sustainability and
inclusion, amongst other concepts [15], [16], these definitions
typically focus on regional or urban development. We focus
on streets because they are a defined and manageable unit
with boundaries that all stakeholders can understand and work
within. In the same vein, we focus on smartness as a quality
derived from the use of (i) near-real-time data obtained from
physical and virtual sensors; (ii) the interconnection between
different services and technologies within a street; (iii) the
intelligence from the analysis of the data, and the process of
visualising it; and (iv) the optimisation of operations resulting
from this analysis [6].
Smart streets seek to combine the traditional elements
of the public realm with basic elements of cyber-physical
systems. Extant research and definitions of smart streets focus
on smart lighting systems as the basis for smart street projects
(e.g., [7]). However, smart streets include a wide variety of
potential infrastructural objects and services independent of
lighting including space management, structural health, traffic
management, environmental monitoring, and waste manage-
ment, amongst others [17]. Similarly, urban is increasingly
conflated with city whereas it is equally applicable as a
characteristic of a town.
For the purpose of this paper, we define a smart street
as a basic unit of urban space that leverages cyber-physical
infrastructure to provide enhanced services to stakeholders,
and through stakeholder use of the street, generates data to
optimise its services, capabilities, and value to stakeholders.
This definition aligns with existing definitions of smart cities,
accommodates a wide range of potential activity, while at the
same time recognising that street are a more atomised, and as
a result more manageable, unit of development.
III. PRINCIPLES FOR SMA RT STR EE T DESIGN
A. People First
The Design Manual for Urban Roads and Streets
(DMURS) [18] emphasises the need for more walkable com-
munities for sustainability, public health, and social equity. In
line with DMURS and the Global Designing Cities Initiative
(GDCI) Global Street Design Guide [19], the public should
be at the heart of any smart street strategy. Both DMURS and
GDCI propose a hierarchy of priorities as follows - pedestrians
first, then cyclists, then public transport, then people doing
business or carrying out public services on the street, and
lastly, personal motorised vehicles [18][19]. Putting people
first means designing streets and selecting cyber-physical in-
vestments that meet a wide range of objectives including public
health and safety, quality of life, environmental and economic
sustainability, and social equity.
B. Place Second
There has been a general shift in approaches from a pri-
mary focus on the movement of traffic, typically vehicular, to
what DMURS refers to as multi-modal movement and streets
as a “sense of place”. GDCI [19] suggest that designing streets
for place means considering the local culture and context.
This includes the built and natural environment, the social and
cultural context, and the economic environment. For DMURS
[18], sense of place, while difficult to define has a number of
attributes including:
•Connectivity - the creation of vibrant and active places
requires pedestrian activity and consequently, should
be walkable, connected and easily navigated.
•Enclosure - a sense of enclosure spatially defines
streets and creates a more intimate and supervised
environment.
•Active edge - an active frontage enlivens the edge of
the street creating a more interesting and engaging
environment.
•Pedestrian activity/facilities – an enclosed street with
an active edge creates a sense of intimacy, interest
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and overlooking and enhances a pedestrian’s feeling
of security and well-being.
When considering the digital analogue for this “sense of
place”, one must consider how digital technologies and cyber-
physical infrastructure augment or reinforce these attributes,
but equally what the digital analogue of connectivity, enclo-
sure, an active edge, and pedestrian activity and facilities might
be.
C. From Inputs to Impacts
Where limited resources are being invested, care needs to
be taken to ensure inputs translate into impacts. Cyber-physical
features and interventions must have associated measurement
systems that provide more timely data from which decisions
can be made and resources allocated to mitigate, remediate
or optimise strategies to meet prioritised objectives. Digital
technology allows stakeholders collect, process and analyse
data in near-real time and, where appropriate, actuate decisions
autonomically. Measuring and communicating impacts of in-
terventions helps inform better decisions on resource allocation
but also communicate progress to policymakers and the com-
munity, thereby building both political and community support
for future funding and other projects. Baseline metrics must be
collected before any intervention so that data collected post-
implementation can be benchmarked against prior conditions.
Furthermore, agreed success criteria must be determined in
advance, and ideally, systems put in place to establish causal
relationships between digital enhancements and changes in
outcomes. In many smart street use cases, benchmarking may
not be possible as historic data simply does not exist.
Based on GDCI [19] recommendations, smart street
projects should focus on three categories of metrics:
1) Cyber-physical and operational changes – short-
term quantitative results on progress towards meet-
ing cyber-physical infrastructural targets e.g., new or
improved facilities, technologies or infrastructure.
2) Shifts in use and function – medium-term quantita-
tive and qualitative results on how a street is used
differently as a result of the project e.g., changes
in behaviour, new users of street or cyber-physical
infrastructure, changes in transit flow and type, and
improved functions.
3) Resulting impacts - long-term cyber-physical physi-
cal, operational, and functional changes that impact
the overall performance of the street, and whether the
investment and associated implementation is achiev-
ing the desired outcomes agreed with funding bodies.
D. Connectivity Counts
With sensors and machine learning, ubiquitous network
connectivity is a foundational building block of digital transfor-
mation in the public realm. It is well established the broadband
coverage, connectivity, quality, and adoption contribute to
GDP and local economic growth [20][21], the location and
development of clusters of knowledge-intensive firms [22], and
rural employment [23], amongst others. In particular, research
on free public Wi-Fi access suggests that it contributes to
economic growth [24][25], promoting tourism [26][27], social
inclusion [28], public safety [28][29], and improved public ser-
vices [27][30]. The importance of digital connectivity for EU
regional and social development is evident from the inclusion
of access to digital communications in the European Pillar of
Social Rights. However, rural broadband coverage continues to
be lower than national coverage across EU Member States; just
over 52.3% have access to high-speed next generation services
[31].
E. Available and Accessible 24/7/365
Many rural areas experience weather conditions that may
keep people indoors, lead them to choose to drive rather than
walk or cycle, and otherwise adversely affect mobility and
outdoor activities. Communities around the world have imple-
mented weather mitigation strategies so that the public can
spend more time outdoors in the public realm, generating so-
cial, economic and public health outcomes that may otherwise
be lost due to climate. Similarly, in line with being “people
first”, improving accessibility and the quality of experience
for those most vulnerable in society is key in a modern,
inclusive society. This consideration is particularly pertinent
against the backdrop of COVID19. While social distancing
needs to be maintained, research suggests that COVID19
is less likely to be transmitted outdoors due to greater air
ventilation [32]. Similarly, to counter the adverse impacts
of public health interventions such as social distancing and
social isolation, experts have called for further investment in
public realm nature experiences that research suggests results
in benefits to cognitive functioning, emotional well-being, and
other dimensions of mental health [33][34].
F. A Flexible Programmable Public Realm
Thriving shopping streets are both social spaces and com-
mercial spaces, with not only clusters of similar retail outlets
but also featuring other diverse retail and social activities [12].
The physical and visual quality of the public realm including
pedestrian friendliness, appropriate pavement widths, walkabil-
ity and urban furniture, complemented by active shopfronts and
communal facilities (bars, cafes, etc.) can transform shopping
streets in to social spaces [35][36]. It is the combination of lo-
cation centrality, retail mix use, and social vitality that attracts
higher volumes of more diverse people to a street, resulting
in sustainable long-term success. Against this backdrop, a key
challenge in urban design is to make the public realm more
flexible and dynamic, and encourage both traditional and new
uses and behaviours of that space. Technology can be used
to dynamically create time- and use-based flexible outdoor
mixed-use spaces from wall to wall in the public realm. This
can be used to attract more footfall, social, and ultimately
commercial activity to the benefit of all stakeholders.
G. Open, Not Closed
Open government data is concerned with making public
sector information freely available in open formats and ways
that enable public access and facilitate exploitation [37]. The
benefits of open data are summarised in Table III. It is
important to note that open data, on its own, has little intrinsic
value but value is created by its use [38].
The EU Public Sector Information (PSI) Directive (Di-
rective 2003/98/EC) and subsequent revisions (Directive
2013/37/EU and Directive (EU) 2019/1024) were designed to
encourage member states to provide access and encourage the
reuse of PSI. Smart street projects provide stakeholders with
76Copyright (c) IARIA, 2020. ISBN: 978-1-61208-760-3
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TABLE III. OVE RVIE W OF BE NE FITS O F OPE N DATA [38]
Category Benefits
Political and Social
More transparency; Democratic accountability; More participation and self-empowerment of citizens (users); Creation of trust in government;
Public engagement; Scrutinisation of data; Equal access to data; New government services for citizens; Improved citizen services; Improved
citizen satisfaction; Improved policy-making processes; More visibility for the data provider; Stimulation of knowledge development; New public
sector insights; New (innovative) social services.
Economic
Economic growth and stimulation of competitiveness; Stimulation of innovation; Contribution toward the improvement of processes, products,
and/or services; Development of new products and services; Use of the wisdom of the crowds: tapping into the intelligence of the collective;
Creation of a new sector adding value to the economy; Availability of information for investors and companies.
Operational and Technical
The ability to reuse data/not having to collect the same data again and counteracting unnecessary duplication and associated costs (also by other
public institutions); Optimisation of administrative processes; Improvement of public policies;Access to external problem-solving capacity; Fair
decision-making by enabling comparison; Easier access to data and discovery of data; Creation of new data based on combining data; External
data quality checks (validation); Sustainability of data (no data loss); The ability to merge, integrate, and mesh public and private data.
the opportunity to accelerate their open data initiatives. With
sufficient promotion, this can attract interest from industry
and researchers with a view of leveraging the massive time
series data that smart streets can generate to generate scholarly
insight and socio-economic outcomes in towns and beyond.
At the same time, smart street projects need to consider the
significant ethical and legal implications of the substantial data
being collected from such projects, particularly where such
data is collected ambiently without explicit consent from the
public [39].
H. Evolution, Not Revolution. Leading Edge, Not Bleeding
Edge
While there is a temptation to be at the cutting edge of
smart city technology, care needs to be taken so rural smart
street projects are at the “leading edge” and not the “bleeding
edge” of technology adoption. This is particularly the case
where resources are limited. In every country, there are projects
and schemes that need to be taken into account. Therefore,
the adoption of potential technologies and proposals should
acknowledge and build on best practice, existing systems and
processes where possible, to minimise waste and maximise
learning, within budget constraints.
I. Managing a Complex Stakeholder Environment
In order to meet the requirements of a diverse group of
stakeholders, it is essential to fully understand the current
barriers to change including apathy, fear, relevance, and in-
convenience, and to design and select projects that seam-
lessly address these across a number of key themes, using
a combination digital and urban design interventions. There
is a rich tapestry of local, regional, national and International
initiatives and programmes with recommendations and targets
that can be used to inform decisions. Adopting this bottom-up
approach rather than a top-down approach focused solely on
the achievement of local targets should result in a programme
that has greater awareness, relevance and longevity than those
developed in isolation of citizen requirements.
IV. THE EL EM EN TS O F A SMA RT STR EE T
A. Connectivity Corridor
A connectivity corridor is a substrate of network connec-
tivity, power and associated hardware. As discussed, increased
broadband speed and coverage is linked to a wide variety of
direct and indirect socio-economic outcomes including reduced
operational costs, increased GDP, increased jobs, retail and
tourism visitor satisfaction, and social inclusion. Many rural
towns and streets feature legacy utility wiring and street
furniture that may adversely impact the visual identity of
the street. By leveraging (i) existing wired infrastructure, (ii)
upgrading access points to the state-of-the-art, and (iii) re-
placing legacy street furniture with multi-purpose units, much
of the existing street overhead wiring can be eliminated or
moved underground. Connectivity, both telecommunications
and power, could be monitored for the street through one
interface however this is unlikely. Consequently, smart streets
require coordination and collaboration with existing infrastruc-
ture providers.
B. Smart Street Information Systems
There are a wide number of urban information systems that
can inform a smart street project depending on the responsible
agency and contractor at a national, regional, and local level.
Table IV summarises some of the main urban information
systems.
Given the idiosyncrasies of funding, utility management,
and administrative responsibilities in rural towns, Urban Data
Platforms (UDPs) are proposed as the priority for smart
streets. By focussing on UDPs, the data generated can be used
to stimulate future traffic control and demand management
systems, mobile apps for citizens, and inform urban and
strategic planning. Specifically, the data from a UDP can
be used inform a more flexible and programmable public
realm. Such a platform requires the ubiquitous connectivity
assumed in Section IIID. Building in the needs of a UDP,
including network, power, storage, sensor mounts, and APIs
in to infrastructure will avoid expensive disruptive piecemeal
retrofits in the future.
Sidewalk Labs, considered at the cutting edge of urban
system thought leadership, view urban data platforms and
associated tools for measuring, analysing, modelling and visu-
alising this data as the first step in improving efficiency and
the quality of life in urban environments [41]. The ability to
collect data on fixed and moving things through sensors, video
and beacon data will enable rapid low-cost analysis and testing
interventions using scenario-based modelling thus avoiding the
cost, inconvenience associated with live testing. Furthermore,
it will allow the granular real-time evaluation of the impact
of the redevelopment and enable optimisation or remediation,
as necessary. Finally, the vast amount of data generated from
one street can stimulate both scientific and economic activity
in the street through entrepreneurial and research engagements
with this open data.
C. Traffic and Transit Management
A significant part of the general public experience on a
street takes place on the footpath. Footpaths are a conduit
for pedestrian movement and access to properties located
77Copyright (c) IARIA, 2020. ISBN: 978-1-61208-760-3
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TABLE IV. SUMMARY OF SMA RT CITY INFORMATION SYST EM S (ADA PTE D FRO M [40])
System Description
Urban data platform (UDP) UDPs enable and stimulate a proper understanding of how infrastructure is used in different domains, the interdependencies between
different elements of infrastructure and the effects of external drivers.
ICT as a planning support
Theze are quantitative tools and analytical methods in the form of step-by-step guidance that assess which issues and trade-offs that need to
be addressed in decision-making as well as methodological processes for optimising opportunities and minimising risks. Decision support
tools address all key actors, including consumers, producers and utilities and assess the benefits (or risks) for each actor under different scenarios.
Strategic urban planning (SUP)
SUP builds on understanding and developing all aspects of an urban area, integrating technical, environmental, political,
social and economic interests. Its general objectives include clarifying which city model is desired and working towards
that collective vision for the future by coordinating public and private efforts, involving citizens and stakeholders, channeling energy,
adapting to new circumstances and improving the living conditions of the citizens affected. Furthermore, SUP provides a methodology
which helps cities identify their strengths and weaknesses, while defining the main strategies for local development.
Traffic Control Systems (TCS) TCS help to improve traffic flow and to regulate speed within a clean high-quality public transport corridor. A TCS includes real-time traffic
data online, strategic traffic control and management, public transport acceleration measures, and information management.
Traffic demand management (TDM)
TDM describes the strategies and policies aiming to achieve more efficient use of transportation resources and to reduce travel demand
by giving priority to public transit, car-sharing, car-pooling, etc. It puts focus on the movement of people and goods, rather than on
motor vehicles. It includes trip scheduling, route, destination or mode reduction in the need for physical travel through more efficient
land use or transportation substitutes.
Energy demand response
Energy demand response is the intentional modification of normal energy consumption patterns by end-use customers in response to
incentives from grid operators, peaks of renewable energy generation or some compensation to reduce their power consumption at times
of peak demand. The main objective of demand response is to maximise the integration of renewable energy systems while maintaining
or improving today’s levels of electricity supply reliability, energy security, economic growth and prosperity.
Mobile applications for Citizens
By using mobile applications, citizens can easily gain access to different services and open data. This offers new opportunities for the
intelligent management of service demand and can enhance the quality of life in urban areas. Mobile applications help citizen to access
information and make informed decisions in various domains.
Neighbourhood energy
management systems (NEMS)
NEMS aim to integrate the different consumers and producers with the main electrical and heating grids at district level. These systems
are essential to approach ultralow or net zero energy districts, controlling the energy consumption either by reducing it either shifting
during the day to flat the demand shape. These systems, supplying predominantly residential buildings and districts, are able to de-couple
fluctuations in the heat demand of buildings from the network conditions without perceptible changes in comfort. This allows
the network’s heat demand to be stabilised, energy efficiency to be improved, and heat (or cooling) loss in the supply network to be reduced.
on a street, they enhance connectivity and promote walking
[19]. Footpaths have been shown to enhance general public
health and maximise social capital. GDCI [19] suggests that
footpaths should have four distinct zones. The frontage zone
is the section of the footpath directly in front of a building. It
comprises the fac¸ade and the space immediately adjacent to the
building can be used as an extension of the building e.g., for
sandwich boards or as additional seating. The clear path is the
primary pathway running parallel to the street, typically 1.8-
2.4 metres wide. The street furniture zone is situated between
the kerb and the clear path; it is used for lighting, benches,
kiosks, utility poles, greenery, cycle parking, etc. Finally, a
footpath may have a buffer zone or enhancement for optional
elements including parking, cycle racks, cycle-sharing stations,
and kerbside cycle paths.
Rural towns can increase the multi-functional use of the
public realm through a combination of designated areas, foot-
path widening, automated street bollards, sensors (including
video cameras for Automated License Plate Recognition -
ALPR), and embedded or overhead lighting in roads and
footpaths. Together, these can be used to dynamically change
the usage of a street at different times of the day, week
and year giving priority to different street users depending
on the time or weather conditions. For example, parts of or
the whole street could be pedestrianised by raising automated
retractable bollards at either end or the median of the street.
Different uses (at different times in the day and week) can
be signalled using data-driven programmable LED lights in
pavement tiling. Technologies that combine advanced video
camera technology and deep learning, for example ALPR,
can be used to provide access and lower bollards, record
infringements, identify stolen vehicles, and enforce regulations
including fines and payment. In addition, adaptive smart traffic
light systems can be implemented that identify and prioritise
pedestrians and cyclists. These can be integrated with smart
furniture and pedestrian crossings.
Sensors in parking spaces can direct people to available
parking spaces, signal availability for specific purposes (e.g.,
Electric Vehicle - EV - parking and charging, accessibility
or carsharing), record usage or signal pricing. Furthermore,
parking spaces could be dynamically re-purposed and used for
parklets, reservable, removable, transient pop-up retail or social
spaces. Such systems could also support dynamic pricing and
prioritised parking for retail customers, the most vulnerable,
and EV owners (near charging points).
By being able to limit use of different sections of a
street at different times in the day, it can be used as an
innovative testbed for new forms of public transport and
freight transit. For example, telepresence robot technology has
developed and become more robust. These smartphone- or
tablet-operated units allow people located remotely move, hear,
see and speak via a tablet attached to a retractable unit with
ruggedised wheels. They can be powered down and charged in
relatively small docking stations. This can be used for tourists
to visit remotely, potential customers to visit shops without
being physically present, enable remote guides to interact with
people, or for other teleworking scenarios. Similarly, zones can
be reserved for transit by drone or autonomous vehicle (AV).
For example, the Renault EZ series include AVs for freight,
passenger transit and most recently, micro-mobility. These AVs
are designed for low electric energy consumption and relatively
small dimensions. The EZ-Pod is a small robo-vehicle (3
square metres – 32.3sq. ft.) with electric propulsion designed
to transport people and goods over short distances and at very
low speeds (sub-6kph). It could be used for transporting goods,
the elderly or infirm and/or drone and robot delivery, and
autonomous waste collection.
D. Accessibility, Security and Safety
Accessibility and safety issues can result from blocked,
narrow or lack of footpaths, lack of accessible crossing, lack of
protection when crossing streets particularly for those moving
at slower paces, lack of cycle facilities, poor intersection de-
signs, and other surface hazards [19]. Increasing accessibility
has a number of outcomes including improving the quality
of life of all citizens, regardless of age, size and ability,
78Copyright (c) IARIA, 2020. ISBN: 978-1-61208-760-3
ICDS 2020 : The Fourteenth International Conference on Digital Society

by providing a safe and inclusive environment. Furthermore,
it increases mobility thereby contributing to public health
outcomes.
In addition to eliminating permanent obstructions, support-
ing measures exist for integrating audio and signal cues along
the street. These may be designed in street furniture or involve
a system of Bluetooth beacons that provide audio or text
messages to smart phones, or local visual signals to alert those
in need. For example, Southern Cross Station in Melbourne,
Australia uses Bluetooth and a free GPS smartphone app,
BlindSquare, to create a beacon navigation system [42]. Users
can receive audio cues via their smartphones, providing direc-
tions or real time information about issues such as escalator
outages [42]. Additionally, object detection systems can be
used to identify unpermitted obstructions, water pooling or
other seasonal or anomalous issues without first notification
from the public. It is worth noting that accessibility is not just
about removing obstruction. Research suggests that benches
to rest on and designing pavements and footpaths with clear
separation of pedestrians and cyclists are high priority concerns
for older citizens [43]. Furthermore, as mentioned previously,
micro-mobile AVs can be used as taxibots to transport those
who qualify short distances, and smart technologies can be
used to prioritise parking for those accessibility issues.
Security cameras managed by local authorities can help
monitor speeding vehicles, prevent crime, support access man-
agement, enable payment transactions (e.g., parking), and
either deter or identify unwanted activities, with reduced labour
costs and human error [19]. Notwithstanding this, there is a
tension between personal privacy rights and the public inter-
est. Any such implementation requires compliance with the
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and a persistent
and consistent enforcement of clear data management policies.
While recognising public concerns about mass surveillance,
cameras and software can be configured for semi-anonymous
analysis, i.e., an individual can be tracked but their individual
personal information is never stored, or that only objects are
tracked e.g., license plates.
E. Smart Street Furniture
Street furniture is designed primarily for passive consump-
tion. It typically includes benches, transit stops and other
shelters, waste receptacles, and public toilets. Smart street
furniture re-imagines street furniture as not only a passive
object but an active part of the street experience supporting
different activities and behaviours to meet social, economic and
public health outcomes. For example, in the current COVID-
19 pandemic, it is worth noting the smart kiosks that have
been implemented as part of variety of health initiatives to
facilitate dialogue with health professionals and public health
announcements. Street furniture can be categorised in a variety
of ways including production method, function, target cohort,
and public space typology.
1) Smart Lamp Posts
As per DMURS, good quality lighting promotes safer and
secure environments by making it easier for all stakeholders
to see each other and potential obstructions. Furthermore, it
encourages greater mobility. State-of-the-art smart lamp posts
operate a master and slave system and are designed for street
illumination and telecommunications. As such, they include
TABLE V. CATE GOR IE S OF STR EE T FURNITURE (ADAP TE D AND
EX TEN DE D FROM [44])
Production method
Standardised Designed for mass production but can be
adapted for a specific place.
Atypical Designed for a specific place and often
artistic in nature.
Digital Designed for connectivity.
Sustainable Designed for environmental sustainability.
Function
Service Shelters, sunshades, waste receptacles,
public transit stops, etc.
Safety Public lighting, protective railings,
bollards, etc.
Information Signage, Information panels, etc.
Relaxation Benches, tables, cycle racks, drinking
fountains, play areas, etc.
Aesthetic Artistic and architectural elements.
Target group
Younger Street furniture should be sited and
designed to take in to account the
needs, limitations, safety and security
of vulnerable populations.
Older
Disabled
Public space type Urban
Street furniture is exposed to greater strain
e.g., greater use and greater
likelihood of dirt and destruction.
Village Less strained street furniture.
LED-smart lights and built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, telecommunica-
tions antennas and switchboards. Furthermore, many feature
programmable NEMA controllers that can also be used for
traffic signal and pedestrian crossing. Additional functionality
includes CCTV, telemetry, and EV charging units. In addition
to those mentioned, smart lamp posts are typically designed
for extensibility thus ideal for supporting a wide range of other
cyber-physical interventions including environmental sensing,
security, ALPR use cases (e.g., speed, access, payment and de-
mand management), vehicular, cyclist and pedestrian signals. It
should be noted that existing legacy lampposts can be enhanced
through a network of sensors, such as University of Chicago’s
Array of Things (AOT). AOT can be mounted to existing
lampposts and other infrastructure to collect environmental
data about temperature, humidity, light, air quality, wind,
precipitation, noise levels, vibrations, proximity detection of
Bluetooth- and Wi-Fi-enabled devices including measuring
vehicular and pedestrian traffic [45].
2) Smart Kiosks
Modern smart kiosks are a form of multifunctional street
furniture that features hardware and software components
for sensing different environmental conditions, multi-modal
interaction with users, and for capturing and transmitting data
for analysis locally or in the cloud [46]. Media poles have
similar functionality but with a conventional pole form which
may restrict display and associated advertising. Smart kiosks
often include much of the functionality of previous generations
of related technology including digital signage, media poles
and other wayfinding technologies.
Smart kiosks are increasingly adopted as part of smart city
initiatives for a variety of use cases including as:
•Information points e.g., public services and related
announcements, transit information, weather, route
and wayfinding, town or city guide, and local events.
•Transaction points e.g., bicycle sharing, voter regis-
tration, seasonal transactions, parking, transit or other
event tickets.
•Communication points e.g., emergency contact, pub-
lic telephone access, and social interactions through
79Copyright (c) IARIA, 2020. ISBN: 978-1-61208-760-3
ICDS 2020 : The Fourteenth International Conference on Digital Society

machine agents.
•Connectivity points e.g., relaying or providing access
to Wi-Fi.
•Device charging points e.g., EV or USB charging
•Sensing points e.g., collecting passive environmental,
traffic or security data through sensors and cameras.
•Research points e.g., collecting active survey data
from citizens.
•Advertising points e.g., displaying advertising for
sponsors, local retailers and events or other advertis-
ers.
It is important to note that smart kiosks have the potential
to be customisable, movable and more critically, a multi-
modal experience in that they are interactive and can display
visual information and broadcast sound, if required. They also
typically include sensors to alert the authority to tampering.
Security can be provided through secured WPA/WPA2 or an
encrypted network thus requiring proprietary network keys.
The CityBridge Link System has been rolled out in New York
City and London, in conjunction with local authorities and
utility providers providing free Wi-Fi access with speeds up
to 1Gb per second, funded through advertising [47]. Each Link
Kiosk provides coverage from 150-400ft. Some functionality
was disabled due to misuses e.g., unlimited content browsing
directly through the kiosk [48].
Smart kiosks can also become a destination in themselves
thus attracting people to their location. Research suggests that
smart kiosks incentivise local retail activity through proximity
and assist people, especially visitors, to discover and navigate
local businesses in different business categories [47]. Smart
kiosks provide a vital bridge in crossing the digital divide by
providing vulnerable communities with access to free Wi-Fi
and public services and therefore support social inclusion [49].
3) Smart Benches
Modern smart street benches can include a wide range of
functionality that encourage different street uses. For exam-
ple, they can include additional functionality such as shelter,
lighting, CCTV, USB and EV charging, bicycle parking and
air pressure, as well as video displays that can be used for
information, advertising, and entertainment e.g., games and
other programming. Increasingly, smart benches can power
themselves completely or partially using solar panels.
In addition to the functionality of the smart bench, three
other factors warrant consideration by smart street designers.
First, the location and orientation of smart benches can be a
determining factor on successful outcomes, use and utility. In
effect, local authorities make a decision about what a member
of the public will look at and how close they will be to
other elements of the street including retail outlets, waste
receptacles, junctions, etc. For example, if a local authority
wishes to use the smart benches for EV charging, then this
determines location and proximity to car parking spaces and
the associated impact that such activity has relative to the
bench. Second, the design and placement of smart benches can
include or exclude those with mobility limitations including
participation by wheelchair users, or those with strollers, and
accessibility on the footpath for other street users. Third,
in addition to services for local stakeholders, smart street
benches can provide additional functionality to support the
connectivity corridor by housing multiple radio access units,
backhaul equipment, power supplies and antennas [50]. Addi-
tionally, they can be located at convenient intervals between
smart lampposts thereby boosting the coverage and strength of
wireless signals.
4) Other Smart Furniture
Waste receptacles are a form of smart street furniture with
a primary function. While necessary, they can adversely affect
the visual identity of the street, and introduce accessibility
issues. Smart waste solutions can be autonomous and robot-
based or fixed. The former include making standardised waste
containers (organised by organic, recyclable and landfill mate-
rial) available and having robots that move these containers to
centralised units for compaction and removal by type. The EU-
funded projectm, FP6-Dustbot, and subsequent ROBOSWEEP
projects, resulted in an autonomous street cleaning robot
[51]. Similarly, the Lumebot is used to sweep and vacuum
pavements, move snow, sweep and steam clean pavements, and
dispense salt, sand and gravel [52]. Others have proposed more
‘fun’ designs. For example, Giant Food Stores has rolled out
“Marty” to 172 stores, a robot that identifies spills and other
dangerous obstructions [53].
There are a variety of fixed waste collection systems.
Vacuum-based systems involve users throwing their waste bags
into accessible waste inlets located indoors or outdoors and it is
then stored in closed underground screw tanks which are linked
together with docking points and a network of underground
pipes. The docking points are positioned on the periphery so
that the truck picking up the waste does not have to drive into
gardens or narrow streets. More conventional smart bin designs
are increasingly solar-powered waste receptacles with built-in
compactors. Sensors signal the need for collection, as well as
recording data on volume, fill rate and collection activity for
analysis and chargeback.
Electronic storage units are another form of street furniture
that can be used by public services, street vendors, and
members of the public to store items. They can also be used
by retailers and the public to deliver and collect goods and
products out of hours. This may be particularly useful in the
context of competing against online trading and limitations
due to COVID19. Such units increasingly include advertising
displays, reservation and payment, thereby facilitating income
generation. Smart solutions also exist for (i) public toilets
including access management, intelligent wash disinfection,
and other related systems, and (ii) smart public drinking
fountains that monitor usage, water quality and hygiene.
F. Climate Protection, Environmental Monitoring, and
Weather Mitigation
As discussed, local climate conditions can discourage
mobility and outdoor activities. Two achievable interventions
include (i) weather monitoring and prediction capabilities, and
(ii) support for a variety of weather mitigation strategies that
can be triggered based on data, that (i) block wind, and (ii)
provide shelter from precipitation, and (iii) shade from the
sun. As previously mentioned, AOT is an experimental urban
measurement system that provides programmable, modular
“nodes” with sensors and computing capability for measuring
climate, air quality, noise levels, flood and water levels, as
80Copyright (c) IARIA, 2020. ISBN: 978-1-61208-760-3
ICDS 2020 : The Fourteenth International Conference on Digital Society

well as counting the number of vehicles at an intersection
(and then deleting the image data rather than sending it
to a data center) [45]. Use cases today include consumer
recommender systems for healthiest and unhealthiest walking
times and routes, real-time detection of urban flooding, and
micro-climate measurement and analysis [45].
In addition to monitoring the natural environment, sensor
technology can be used to monitor the built environment
including use and building decay. Smart street development
provides the opportunity to embed sensors and other in-
frastructure systems for monitoring purposes. This includes
footpaths, roadbeds, water pipes and electricity systems, pro-
viding operators with proactive and predictive maintenance
and management systems to ensure usage and costs are within
expected ranges, potential and actual anomalies, for example
leaks, are detected and resolved, and that service levels are met
through cleaning, repair, augmentation and other interventions.
Weather and traffic data can be used to actuate zonal public
realm management including weather mitigation strategies.
Such strategies may include fixed retractable umbrellas, re-
tractable smart awnings or umbrellas managed and maintained
by property owners (retailers), or even street use prioritisation
during different weather conditions, in combination with in-
creased tree canopy coverage. However, such technologies can
represent a significant investment in themselves. The ultimate
outcome of weather mitigation strategies will be to catalyse
new uses for a street year-round including markets, events
and other activities. As well as the socio-economic impact,
it benefits public health by increasing mobility and street use
by pedestrians and cyclists.
G. Environmental Sustainability
It is widely accepted that private motor vehicles are the
most significant challenge to sustainable travel [54]. In rural
communities, it may be infeasible to restrict conventional
vehicles from shopping streets for parking or transit, partic-
ularly where local public transit alternatives are limited. As
discussed, an alternative is to invest in the public realm digital
fabric to enable a programmable flexible and adaptive system
that prioritises roadbed use and parking space for pedestrians,
cyclists, EVs, ride sharing and other sustainable practices.
Similarly, reducing barriers to mobility including accessibility,
security and safety measures will result in reduced carbon
emissions. Implementation of a sensor network for collecting
environmental data, for example via the AOT [45], will provide
enhanced climate and environmental measurement capabilities
and inform local decision making.
A number of the proposed interventions can make use of
alternative energy sources e.g. solar power street furniture.
To reinforce the sustainability of the street and proposed
innovations, dedicated space on streets can be reserved for
installing and demonstrating pavement interventions that en-
courage physical activity and convert alternative energy into off
grid electrical energy to power lighting, kiosks, digital signage
and other smart furniture. For example, even a relatively small
strip of Pavegen tiles can generate 6 to 8 joules of off-
grid electrical energy [55]. Bluetooth beacons in the system
connect to smartphones, rewarding users for their steps and
generating permission-based analytics. Furthermore, it can
be integrated with other platforms using APIs. Technologies
like Pavegen can be used in different scenarios including
powering kiosks and lighting walls. A variety of alternative
energy harvesting technologies can be used to store and
power innovative street furniture and systems. These include
specially- designed light-tiles at pedestrian crossings that only
appear when pedestrians or cyclists approach and photovoltaic
road cells that convert sunlight into energy. Dutch company,
Energy Floors, has designed a number kinetic and solar-
powered floors that serve dual purposes as both lighting and
interactive street art, interactive games for kids, and dancing
[56]. The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
(KAIST) has run trials using induction coils embedded in
roads to charge public transit vehicles [57]. Similarly, a UK
project is developing smart roads that generate power using
piezoelectricity and hydro-mechanical dynamics from passing
cars, trucks and buses [58]. The electricity harvested is stored
by roadside batteries to power street lamps, road signs, air
pollution monitors, plus sensors that detect when potholes are
forming, and generate data on vehicle speeds, the types of
vehicle travelling along the roads, as well as other information
on traffic flows [58]. Israeli company, Innowattech, has exper-
imented with piezoelectric sensors to capture energy created
by the weight, motion and vibration of passing trains [59].
While some of these technologies may not be feasible for
long-term use, particularly on busy roads, dedicated plug and
play areas can be made available to companies wishing to test
their technologies in a live environment, and space for power
storage supporting hardware as part of redevelopment plans.
H. Street Activity
Research suggests that while street-improvement projects
can increase the level of pedestrian satisfaction, they may fail
to increase pedestrian volume without specific interventions
to invite greater street activity [60]. Inviting street activity
is key to the sustainability of shopping streets. As discussed
in Section I, thriving shopping streets are both social spaces
and commercial spaces, with not only clusters of similar
retail outlets but also other diverse retail and social activities
[12]. The redevelopment of rural shopping streets should not
only serve the needs of existing stakeholders but attract new
businesses, customers, visitors and users. The public realm,
and in this case one infused with cyber-physical infrastructure
should be a destination in itself.
Local retail activity can generate greater economic activity
through higher traffic (due to free Wi-Fi and other services) and
proximity to smart street furniture (e.g., kiosks, benches and
cycle parking and sharing). It can also assist people, especially
visitors, to discover and navigate local businesses [47] and thus
add value to existing businesses. The siting of such furniture
should consider the types of audience a community wishes
to attract, move through, and/or stay at different parts of the
street, and where they wish to encourage more use at different
hours of the day. Geo-fencing can be used in conjunction with
smart street furniture to create a sense of digital enclosure
and create dialogue with users of street, as well as promote
social and commercial activities and retailers on the street. In
addition, it can provide income generation through data trading
and advertising.
In addition to inherent functionality, street furniture can
be augmented with software-enabled solutions to make them
interactive using machine learning, if connected, or QR and AR
codes, when offline. Advances in intelligent chat technology
81Copyright (c) IARIA, 2020. ISBN: 978-1-61208-760-3
ICDS 2020 : The Fourteenth International Conference on Digital Society

and even simple conversational technologies can transform
street furniture in to a social experience. For example, the
Hello Lamp Post project demonstrated how the public could
interact with everyday street objects through text messaging
providing a fun and novel way for street interaction. More
advanced conversational technologies may be used for stim-
ulating interaction with at risk communities. Research also
suggests that AI-based conversational technologies provides
“valuable practice” and coaching to help older adults navigate
challenging conversations and improve both their health and
quality of life [61]. Such initiatives can be low cost and attract
visitors for this interaction alone.
In conjunction with a more flexible programmable public
realm, public projection and sound systems can transform the
public space for outdoor events and extend after hours activity
including in evenings. In addition to retractable awnings,
this may represent another opportunity for the existing retail
community on a street to contribute to a smart street through
sharing off-peak use of their physical infrastructure. Retailers
could be encouraged or incentivised to integrate smart glass
and related initiatives. Smart glass takes many forms, often
based on liquid crystal technology, to transform storefronts
by allowing window glass for projection e.g. it can switch to
opaque, transparent, for projecting media including advertis-
ing, or even using it as a mirror. Smart glass and motion sensor
natural user interfaces can transform how the public engages
with retail frontage, even out of hours. Such innovations
provide 100% glass window utilisation out of hours including
monetisation through advertising. When multiple units are
linked together with a street sound system, they can be used for
creating multimedia experiences and shows to attract visitors.
In effect, they provide the opportunity to turn passive retail
units in to information kiosks, entertainment systems, and
digital out of home advertising.
Encouraging new uses, particularly transient uses, requires
changes to the geometry of a street. Smart technologies can use
digital technologies to experiment with using specific zones
on the street as reservable outdoor spaces for short-term uses
for regular or seasonal retail, performances, community and
personal events (e.g., markets, school activities or hackathons),
and food trucks. As well as systems to delineate these areas
(e.g., automated retractable bollards and digital signage), util-
ities (power and water), and storage for pop-up stall units and
street vendors and performers. New pop-up configuration and
designs are emerging that can be used for multiple purposes
such as street seating, movable and collapsible units. Similarly,
historically unused or redundant space can be can be used for
smart delivery and distribution centres (storage lockers) where
citizens can have goods delivered or retail outlets can leave
goods for customers to collect out of hours. Parklets, planters
and dedicated units could also be used for Urban Farm projects
with local schools.
V. CONCLUSION
Forecasts suggest that by 2050, over 68% of the world’s
population will live in cities [1]. Rural towns, communities,
and their citizens are in danger of being left behind. The
sustainable management of urban growth involves investments
in smart city technologies and improving the lives of urban
dwellers, however an alternative is improving the quality of life
and attractiveness of rural living to reduce migration to urban
centers, and ideally changing the flow. Digital technologies
can play a significant role in sustaining and revitalising rural
towns, and building economic and social linkages between
urban and rural areas. We suggest the first step in the digital
transformation of rural towns is sustaining rural shopping
streets, often the economic core of rural communities. Smart
streets are a manageable and feasible investment for rural
towns that can sustain rural shopping streets while enhancing
the lives of those who live in and around rural towns.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This work is partially funded by Wexford County Council
and by the Irish Institute of Digital Business.
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ICDS 2020 : The Fourteenth International Conference on Digital Society