New ‘sensing’ technologies offering real-time information about issues like traffic congestion, water quality and air pollution will get $330,000 in Council funding.
This investment will help Christchurch become a ‘Smart City, according to deputy mayor Vicki Buck.
Smart roads are one of the first building blocks of Intelligent Transport Systems.
“We want to get to the point where people can get amazing information in real-time that helps them make choices about where to swim or what road to take,” says Buck. “We will all know much more about the city’s environment — for example the rivers and air quality — at any given moment.”
Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) is also providing $330,000 in funding and NEC $200,000 for the programme’s early stages in Christchurch. The Mayor will sign a Smart City Collaboration Protocol with NEC.
“The partnership with the government, NEC and others offer a great opportunity for us to start creating more opportunities through the use of open data, opportunities we can’t even see yet.”
The Council will work with Environment Canterbury, the University of Canterbury, NZ Police, ambulance services, central government, social agencies, private enterprise, and other local councils on the technology.
Auckland and Wellington are also trialling the technology.
