Washington, DC deploys robot to improve infrastructure
The Washington D.C. Department of Transportation has deployed a robot to assist in inspecting and maintaining infrastructure. This technology aims to increase efficiency and safety in assessing roads and bridges, addressing the limitations of traditional inspection methods. By integrating robotics into their operations, the DOT hopes to improve overall infrastructure management and responsiveness.
Washington, DC
United States
Boston, MA launches multi-agency action plan to reduce rodent population
Boston has unveiled a comprehensive Rat Action Plan aimed at reducing the city's rodent population through a combination of proactive measures and public education. Key strategies include increased inspections, enhanced sanitation efforts, and the use of modern technologies for tracking and addressing rodent activity. The plan also emphasizes community involvement and collaboration with local organizations to achieve long-term improvements in pest management.
Boston, MA
United States
New York, NY unveils porous "green pavement" to help mitigate flooding
New York City has introduced a new type of pavement designed to enhance safety and reduce maintenance costs. The innovative material, called "green pavement," features a sustainable composition that helps manage stormwater runoff and decreases heat absorption. The city plans to use this eco-friendly pavement in various locations to improve urban infrastructure and environmental impact.
New York, NY
United States
City of Cape Town, WC improves sewer overflow response times with Reactive Incident Management app
Residents encountering wastewater overflows and water line breaks report issues through the RIMA. This mobile app built with SAP supports location tagging, photo uploads, and incident comments. Sewer response teams use RIMA to update repair progress and issue alerts to community members. Cape Town commissioned the RIMA's development, purchased 23 jet-vac vehicles, and created eight rapid-response teams for comprehensive responses to water and sewer issues.
City of Cape Town, WC
South Africa
London Borough of Merton, GB adopts technological approach to recognizing origins of street names
Borough officials initiated a two-month public consultation on how to acknowledge street names with historical ties to slavery. This process excluded street renaming due to the accompanying expense and mapping complications. A majority of respondents supported recognition with QR codes on impacted streets as the most popular solution. The council will develop QR landing pages that shed light on the backgrounds of streets like Marryat Road and Drax Avenue.
London Borough of Merton, GB
United Kingdom
Zundert, NB improves the sewerage design process with an easy-to-use software solution
Zundert worked with Nelen & Schuurmans on the Sewerage Designer. Municipal planners and engineers enter the desired locations for sewers into a basic form. The Sewerage Designer automatically calculates sewer size, manhole depth, and other details based on applicable drainage requirements. This software was designed with all stakeholders in mind and produces maps for use in the open-source QGIS application.
Zundert, NB
Netherlands
Maastricht, LI combines LiDAR and SLAM technology for smarter sewer mapping and management
Municipal officials and project partner HaDennis developed a 3D mapping system for public sewers. Scanners deployed at access points capture images of surrounding sewers in minutes. Images and cross-sections are turned into a city-wide map of current conditions useful for maintenance plans. This process is inexpensive, keeps field workers above ground, and produces comprehensive maps not possible with past inspection methods.
Maastricht, LI
Netherlands
Lancashire County Council, GB assesses tree health with an arborsonic tree decay detector
Council officials estimate trees at approximately one-third of county-managed highway sections. The £12,000 detector minimizes the need for time-intensive inspections through soundwave technology. Soundwaves sent through a tree identify hollow and rotten spots, resulting in a 3D map of the tree's interior. Each scan takes less than 10 minutes and enables accurate tracking of tree health over multiple scans. The county preserves healthy trees and reduces felling costs with the detector.
Lancashire County Council, GB
United Kingdom
Carpentaria, QLD partners with LGAQ Lab on AI-powered system for road flooding detection
The state's innovation lab developed an AI supervisor tool for the shire's flood camera network. This tool monitors real-time footage and sends email alerts to designated council officers when roads are threatened. Carpentaria previously sent officers to identify flooding in outlying areas, thus requiring drives of up to 10 hours. The pilot provides a blueprint for other Queensland councils and determines other uses of the supervisor for Carpentaria's operations.
Carpentaria, QLD
Australia
Oregon City, OR adopts CityRover pothole detection system for improved street maintenance
The city's Public Works team installed CityRover on a street sweeper for comprehensive coverage of local streets. CityRover records footage ahead of the vehicle and identifies potential potholes using artificial intelligence. City officials view analytics on pothole severity within images sent to the CityRover dashboard. This AI-powered system combines with community service requests for a more responsive approach to road repairs.
Oregon City, OR
United States
Leeds City Council, GB uses first-in-UK thermal imagery project for targeted housing upgrades
The MCS Charitable Foundation and Satellite Vu conducted a test of satellite imaging involving Leeds properties. Satellite Vu's network of mini-satellites gathers heat data from infrared cameras. Temperature data are turned into a rooftop heat index for Leeds, thus supporting accurate energy performance certificates for each property. This approach costs one-tenth of other imaging methods and advances the city's Priority Neighbourhoods initiative for home energy efficiency.
Leeds City Council, GB
United Kingdom
Solidaridad (Playa del Carmen), QI develops smart traffic light system in partnership with Telensa
The partnership will install telecell nodes in 4,000 streetlights during its initial rollout. Telecells connect wirelessly to the Telensa PLANet platform based in the city's Network Operations Centre. Real-time data on streetlight performance anticipate outages and future maintenance needs. PLANet also supports individual or group management of streetlights, allowing changes in brightness based on the time of day.
Solidaridad (Playa del Carmen), QI
Mexico