High-tech lampposts have Yellowknife in the running for $5M prize
City wins $250,000 to propose and test pilot project: smart and sustainable lampposts
The City of Yellowknife has won $250,000 as one of five finalists in the nationwide Smart Cities Challenge.
The prize money will be used to develop a concept and pilot project that could ultimately win the final Smart Cities prize of $5 million.
The city's pitch is smart lampposts: "to make them more than just a post that gives off light," as Michael Auge, Yellowknife's manager of sustainability says. The idea, developed with Ecology North, Swedish company White Arkitekter and ATCO, is "to turn the lamppost into a beacon for sustainability."
These would be high-tech streetlights.
"They can monitor a lot of things, whether it be snow levels, traffic counts, water and sewer information," said Auge. If the city wins the grand prize, Auge said they would be networked and could provide public Wi-Fi near parks and trails.
Energy saving and tourism promotion
Craig Scott, the executive director of Ecology North, said some of the technology they want to incorporate would help the city reduce costs and improve services.
A motion-detect lighting system would light up street lamps when pedestrians, cyclists or vehicles pass by the post, and then dim when no one is in the area.
Scott said this could have health benefits, with less light pollution affecting residents' sleep, as well as "energy savings that will be passed on to the city of Yellowknife."
With reduced light pollution, tourists and residents should be able to view the northern lights while walking about the city, he said.
"We need something to set Yellowknife apart from other jurisdictions that are selling aurora tourism," Scott said.
The posts could also include electric vehicle plug-in ports, allowing for streetside recharging.
Created and judged by Infrastructure Canada, the Smart Cities Challenge is meant to support community sustainability and connectivity using innovative technology.
The city will consult with the public before completing its final submission.
"We will be doing some testing or some sort of pilot project … to see which ones are most beneficial to us, to the citizens, to the tourists," said Auge.