1 June 2021

Surveillance is one of the biggest connected systems contributing to smart cities. How can smart surveillance tackle health risks and dangers in smart cities Ghosts, dark powers and curses: all classic elements of many scary movies, and examples of why it doesn’t take something visible to scare people.  We have a natural fear of dangers we can’t see, and for good reason. How do you defend yourself against an invisible enemy? But what has this got to do with smart cities and surveillance? In today’s cities, there are several factors that can turn into a threat of health, safety or even lives. Some are more obvious, like chaotic traffic management that lead to incidents or environmental dangers like fire or flooding. But others are more hidden, yet equally as dangerous to people’s health or a city’s livability. However, a smart city wouldn’t live up to its name if there wasn’t a technology-based solution driven by data that could help tackle these dangers – and that’s advanced surveillance systems. In combination with sensors, audio and analytics, they become the tool to monitor and mitigate the risks and help to protect the health and safety of citizens in smart cities – even when the ‘enemy’ seems invisible. Andrea Sorri, Segment Development Manager Smart Cities at Axis Communications discusses exclusively for Security Buyer  how surveillance solutions tackle health risks in smart cities. Mission health and safety: The risks in smart cities and the tools to fight them Health and safety of residents are closely intertwined with the overall livability of a city, and often factors associated with health, well-being and a feeling of safety score highly in ratings of the world’s most livable cities. City authorities therefore need a keen focus on all aspects of urban life that can impact the well-being of citizens, from air quality to rates of crime. Indeed, with more of the world’s cities using the UN Sustainable Development Goals to define their progress, the smart use of technology and data is an imperative rather than an option. Smooth traffic flow in smart cities With the increasing population in urban areas, there’s also been a growing number of cars on the streets – according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association there’s currently an average of two cars per citizen in the EU.  Therefore, traffic management has always been a key topic for smart cities with the goal to keep the streets safe – for drivers and pedestrians – without hindering the traffic flow (which in itself can have a significant impact on air quality). This is where surveillance systems in combination with analytics come into play. Safety first Surveillance cameras along key traffic routes turn them into smart traffic-detection sensors. They provide a real-time view on the vehicle flow and incidents, which might disrupt the traffic flow across the city or put people’s safety at danger. Systems can be used to detect queues and support pedestrian dynamic and safety, while they’re walking or crossing streets, as well as monitors for accidents or other violations like wrong-way drivers. In cases like the latter, the real-time feature is crucial as every second can make the difference to prevent a fatal accident and protect citizens. If the cameras detect an incident, an alert is sent to the operators to verify the case and send the needed forces to the location – either to resolve the issue or provide medical assistance as fast as possible. Additionally, the information collected by these devices allows Traffic Management Centres to adjust traffic lights or open additional lanes on highly frequented roads to level the traffic flow. Broader health issues Outside of the direct safety risk, poor traffic management brings broader health issues. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Environment Agency (EEA), the exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause severe health issues – from obesity, dementia and respiratory infections to heart disease and lung cancer. It’s seen as the single largest environmental risk in Europe. Ensuring a smooth and regulated traffic flow across the city also leads to a decrease of congestion and, thus, vehicle emissions. Surveillance cameras as advanced traffic sensors can, therefore, become important complementary tools to help improve the air quality for citizens. Parking management’s role Related to the broader subject of traffic monitoring is parking management. Poor parking management causes stress for the residents and contributes to traffic congestions, if vehicles are driving slowly through the streets looking for a vacant space. Often, this results in people parking illegally, which is not only inconvenient for other road users, but can quickly become a threat to life and safety. For example, if emergency service vehicles or crucial access roads to hospitals are blocked, the situation can become life-threatening. Network surveillance cameras, which are already implemented in many cities, can be enhanced with specific analytics applications. Detection zones can be pre-defined to trigger automated alerts should an unauthorised vehicle stop in the area for too long. The alert is then, for example, sent to law enforcement, so they can resolve the situation. The combination of analytics and cameras can also be used to guide drivers to vacant parking lots to prevent illegal parking in the first place.  Smart, safe and silent – controlling noise pollution with surveillance We talked about the issue of air pollution in urban environments, but there’s another invisible factor that can damage citizens’ health: noise. In cities, noise pollution is the second most dangerous environmental threat of the modern day for people’s health and safety, according to the WHO.  In most European countries, more than half of the population is exposed to a harmful level of traffic noise, which can cause detrimental physical effects, such as respiratory agitation, gastritis and even heart attacks. The EEA estimates that a long-term exposure to noise above 55 decibels contributes to 48,000 new cases of ischaemic heart disease every year across Europe.  A combination of high-quality microphones, acoustic sensors, AI analytics and video cameras can help to