security management

Smart monitoring of the urban environment: the case of Independence

The WiseTown solution was chosen by the administrators of the American city of Independence to monitor their city in real-time during the Independence Day celebrations.

Independence Day, celebrated every year on the 4th of July, is one of the most important national holidays in the United States and is also an unmissable event in the City of Independence, Oregon.

The 2018 edition presented an absolute novelty when it came to managing the security of the event: technology played a decisive role in the management and monitoring of the city. The geographical dashboard Situation Room made it possible to manage every sensitive aspect of the event in real-time, with particular reference to communication, traffic, and security.

event monitoring

During the 4th of July celebrations, the small town of Independence, which has a population of about 8,600, hosts more than 20,000 people and visitors from all over Oregon who are attracted by the parades, barbecues and fireworks displays that enliven the town for four whole days.

For the administration of the small town, which has a limited number of dedicated control personnel, the safe running of the event is a priority.

The administration’s need was to have a tool for managing the security of the events, in particular to:

  • Monitor people’s crowds in order to avoid overcrowding.
  • Respond promptly to any criticalities arising during the event
  • Monitor the event in real-time and be able to send a rapid intervention from a single control center without having to cover the whole area.

the security management solution

WiseTown Situation Room is a platform composed of mobile components, social network interfaces and a geographical dashboard that shows in real-time what is happening in a given context.

Open data, geo-referenced posts from social networks, data acquired by IoT sensors specifically placed in the main critical points of the event, and spontaneous citizen reports from an application already used in the city were acquired and processed. The visualization of the data in a single, intuitive and immediate dashboard allowed the surveillance of the events from a single control room center, with a reduced number of staff with the ability to send a prompt intervention targeted at critical locations.

The integration of the Situation Room platform with the city’s existing reporting application has boosted the involvement of residents in the organizational dynamics of the event.

Innovative character of the security control room

WiseTown® Situation Room was able to:

  • prevent dangerous situations;
  • optimize control;
  • speed up intervention methods;
  • stimulate valuable communication between event organizers and citizens/visitors.

The system also proved to be capable of integrating the data archives and applications already used in the specific context, thus guaranteeing maximum adaptability to the needs of the specific context.

Technicians at work in Oregon Independence Day with Wise Town Dashboard

How the platform works

  • Operations Centre

The Situation Room platform is a kind of centralized brain that collects the necessary information and distributes it to the various actors involved in organizing the party (town hall staff, volunteers, police, etc.).

  • Dashboard management

Each team member has the possibility to access the dashboard in order to manage the administrative part of their competence: viewing analyses and reports, having an overview of the data on the map, managing and assigning alerts.

  • Data collection

The instructions that reach the operations center are based on data from specially installed IoT sensors, open data, video surveillance of the area, and geo-referenced posts on Twitter. The information, collected and processed, provides very useful information on people densities, traffic and road conditions etc.

  • Citizens’ reports

Another primary function of the Situation Room is the possibility for citizens to submit reports through an app, social networks or by accessing a portal created specifically for this purpose.

Project realised for the City of Independence, Oregon, USA

City of Independence is a city in the United States, located in Oregon, with a population of 8,500. The city’s progressive and innovative institutions have the ambition to combine the city’s tradition of history, culture and anniversaries with the unique opportunities provided by new technologies.

How the project came about

The Pilot Project was funded by FIWARE, a European business accelerator and official partner of the Global City Teams Challenge.

Press review

“Security is always a concern, and we don’t have enough people locally to manage such a large event. WiseTown is an effective way to monitor and support the operations of our events.”

Shawn Irvine, director of economic development , City of Independence

Contribution to sustainable urban development

The project aims to contribute to the achievement of the following Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, defined and promoted by the United Nations:

sdg9

SDG 9. Building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and fostering innovation

Investment in sustainable infrastructure and scientific and technological research increases economic growth, creates jobs and promotes prosperity. Objective 9 therefore aims to build resilient infrastructure, promote industrialisation and foster innovation. Increased resource efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally friendly technologies and industrial processes are needed to make infrastructure and industries sustainable by 2030.

The use of innovative technologies in cities makes it possible to formulate infrastructural and digital services that monitor people’s movements in order to respond promptly to critical situations and ensure safety, security and efficiency for the population. In addition, the involvement of inhabitants in the organisational dynamics of cities and in the construction of efficient infrastructures and services enables all-round social inclusion that makes citizens responsible for their own well-being and stimulates a dynamic and participatory dialogue with institutions.

CONTRIBUTES TO THE FOLLOWING SUB-OBJECTIVES

9.1: Develop the quality of infrastructure by making it reliable, sustainable and resilient, including regional and cross-border infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on equitable access for all
9.4: By 2030, upgrading infrastructure industries and making them sustainable, with greater efficiency of resources to be used and increased adoption of clean and environmentally friendly technologies and industrial processes, in accordance with countries’ respective capabilities
9.5: Improving scientific research, enhancing the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, particularly developing countries, by 2030, encouraging innovation and significantly increasing the number of R&D workers.

sdg11

SDG 11. Making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, durable and sustainable

Global urbanisation is one of the most significant developments of the 21st century. More than half of the world’s population lives in cities, a percentage that is expected to increase to 70% by 2050. It is cities that drive local and national economies, as centres of prosperity where more than 80% of global economic activity is concentrated.
New technologies make it possible to build a network to monitor mobility and people flows, to ensure safe and integrated coordination of cities during times of conviviality and cohesion. The benefits are numerous: they affect the economic apparatus of the territory, helping to provide access to safe, accessible transport systems; they achieve integrated and sustainable urbanisation, providing universal access to safe public spaces; they enhance understanding of cultural heritage.

CONTRIBUTES TO THE FOLLOWING SUB-GOALS:

11.2: By 2030, provide access to safe, accessible, and sustainable transport systems for all, improve road safety, in particular by expanding public transport, with particular attention to the needs of those in vulnerable situations, women, children, persons with disabilities and the elderly
11.3: By 2030, improve inclusive and sustainable urbanisation and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries
11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible green and public spaces, particularly for women and children, older people and people with disabilities
11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage

sdg16

SDG 16. Promoting peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, providing access to justice for all and building effective, accountable and inclusive institutions

It is clear that without a peaceful and inclusive community and effective governance, development cannot be sustainable. To ensure that societies are peaceful and inclusive, Goal 16 also aims to promote inclusive institutions and the rule of law, and to ensure equal access to justice.

Innovative technologies help institutions and organising bodies to support citizens in their many moments of conviviality and social life, making their work transparent and thus ensuring inclusiveness and peace of mind. Involving the inhabitants of a city horizontally in decisions and in the organisation of convivial moments reduces distortions in information and develops participatory governance.

CONTRIBUTES TO THE FOLLOWING SUB-GOALS:

16.6: Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels
16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels
16.8: Broaden and strengthen the participation of developing countries in global governance institutions
16.10: Ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements.

Find out more about the product used

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Real Time
Monitoring

Situation Room monitors emergency situations or city events in real time