We consider the exciting new world of genuinely smart cities, and how they can be used to build communities and allow residents and visitors ownership over their local area.  

By Jenny Clarke, Associate

For hundreds of years the infrastructure of our towns and cities have served just one purpose; to be the structures in which we have lived, worked and played. In very recent history we’ve overlaid a network to this, using sensors, cameras and digitised objects, creating so called ‘smart cities.’ But these early versions of digital cities fall far short of what is possible, and in most cases don’t add any value for residents and visitors. Now with huge advances in technology, thinking and expectations, new smart cities are able to work harder for everyone.

What is a smart city?

The definition of a ‘smart city’ as a concept has changed over time. Originally the idea was focussed around adding to or replacing existing infrastructure with that which is inherently ‘digital,’ simply because it contains some smart assets, such as IoT (Internet of Things), sensors on objects, and CCTV. The early concepts of smart cities tended to be about passively gathering data and tracking people’s activities – and just ignored the end users.

The concept of the smart city has evolved – in a good way – and we are now looking at smart cities from the perspective of the people who live, work and play there. The widely held view is that technology within a city is nothing if people don’t see the benefit of it.

This can only be a good thing, according to Tiernan Mines, CEO of Hello Lamp Post, a company whose technology enables people to playfully interact digitally with objects on the street, whilst behind the scenes offers an even greater value to the community. He says:

The power of digital used well

On the surface, Hello Lamp Post has a fun and entertaining proposition; they bring street objects to life. People text a number or scan a QR code on a bench or statue, for example, which then activates a friendly AI-based text conversation which might provide information or ask for opinions or feedback. But at its heart, Hello Lamp Post is driven by greater goals than experiential fun.

Although it might sound somewhat sensational to the uninitiated, the technology behind Hello Lamp Post gives it the power to build communities, broaden democracy, improve user experience and give society more ownership of their spaces. Using Hello Lamp Post as an example, we look at three key ways smart cities can – and should – create strong communities to improve the lives of citizens.

1: Build Communities

Community is about having a collective purpose. It’s shaping where you live, work and play communally. In the past it has been easy for society to create communities on a smaller scale, but now we’re reaching an age of increasingly dense populations, having a collective voice becomes harder, certainly without the introduction of technology.

Having a system in place like the one Hello Lamp Post offers can make this easier. Giving residents and visitors a voice and a way to speak to decision makers in their communities means that they feel more involvement in and ownership of their area.

From a commercial point of view too, the smart city can bring the business community together with the general public. By creating an entertaining interactive trail through the high street, local businesses can see increased footfall and engagement with their customers, and in turn make the public feel part of the high street community.  

2: Broaden democracy

With rapidly increasing populations and decreases in decision making powers, there is a growing disconnect between those in charge and the communities affected by their  decisions. Historically it’s been very difficult and inefficient for local authorities to gather opinions from the community, with the main methods being town hall meetings, clipboard surveys and letter drops.

Smart cities, designed with technology like Hello Lamp Post’s can solve this, by providing an easy channel for opinions to be fed back by residents to local councils, universities or property developers.

Decision makers can switch on Hello Lamp Post and instantly receive views from and communicate with the community without needing to do much at all, which benefits those on both sides. Mines says this is at the heart of what Hello Lamp Post do,

“We bring local audiences and decision makers closer together, and provide real insights. For us it’s about bringing more voices to the table, increasing reach, and bringing decision making into the 21st century.”

3: Improve User Experience

When we talk about ‘user experience,’ usually we’re referring to the online world; a website or an app. But a company like Hello Lamp Post looks at the user experience of our own communities, landscapes and real world, and considers how technology can improve it.

All our infrastructure – streets, museums, airports – is analogue. It’s just there; benches to sit on, lampposts to light the street and statues to look at. But by adding an interactive layer to the existing infrastructure we can dramatically improve user experience.  

Mines says:

“Why is it that a statue might only have a few lines about it on a brass plaque, meaning I need to Google it if I want to know more? Why can’t I interact with that object and it’ll tell me about itself? Equally, when passing a construction site hoarding it’s usually impossible to find out what’s going on without researching it on a website. It would be much better to interact with it there and then. At Hello Lamp Post, we aim to better the users’ experience, wherever they are, whatever they’re doing in their town or city.”

In addition to this, Mines says that the technology used in smart cities should be designed to benefit everyone.

“Tech should not be driven by corporate benefit. We’ve seen how users and democracy have suffered in some cases where corporations or big tech have focussed too much on profit over purpose. The companies which will see longevity will be the ones whose business models benefit all sides.”

In terms of the more traditional idea of user experience, Hello Lamp Post are mindful to make theirs as good for their audience as possible. For example, they ensure barriers to entry to using their technology are as low as possible – you don’t need an app or even a smartphone to interact with them. 

Hello Lamp Post in the Royal Borough

For DigiKind’s recent engagement with the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) supporting the safe reopening of the high streets following lockdowns, we supported the implementation of Hello Lamp Post as one part of our strategy to help build a digital ecosystem. 

Hello Lamp Post is activated in different locations, areas and objects across Windsor and Maidenhead, from shop fronts, benches in town centres and even the Queen Victoria statue. Hello Lamp Post also provides easier access to localised information such as the businesses and deals available throughout the town centre, and bus times, as well as placemaking by bringing points of interest to life so people could be more engaged with the history and culture of their town. 

We also use Hello Lamp Post to bring signage and posters to life, integrating with our marketing campaigns and making them even more engaging. In this way, Hello Lamp Post can be used by marketers as an additional channel alongside social media and direct mail to reach people on the street with important relevant messages, as well as ask for feedback.

Using Hello Lamp Post in the campaign has helped to give decision makers at RBWM a finger on the pulse of the people on the street, and an opportunity for two-way communication.This has been hugely valuable, especially during a pandemic.

What’s next for the future of Hello Lamp Post?

The future of smart cities is very exciting for decision makers and communities alike, and as technology advances the possibilities of what can be achieved only grows. Hello Lamp Post’s aspirations are equally impressive and inspiring. Long term, their ultimate target is to be the interactive layer to any place or space in the world, with the underlying mission of bettering local democracy everywhere and improving organisational efficiencies.

They are working hard on continual technical advancements to improve the experience for end users and to enable more efficient decision making for organisations.

Testament to the speed at which the world is adopting smart cities, Hello Lamp Post is a company on the up. A growing team and a newly opened US office show the rising demand for the services that Hello Lamp Post is offering the world; smart cities that bring together decision makers and their communities, create greater democracy, and empower societies…with a bit of fun and entertainment thrown in.