Sensing Lights: The Challenges of Transforming Street Lights into an Urban Intelligence Platform

The technological transformation behind intelligent infrastructure systems requires institutional and stakeholder realignment in their development. In this article, we evaluate the challenges for the production of smart infrastructure through an in-depth analysis of the development of smart street lighting strategies. We conduct surveys and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and industry leaders in public illumination, as well with public officials from cities in three continents to understand the related challenges they face, the strategies being developed to meet those challenges, and reflect on the lessons provided for the design, creation, and operation of public smart infrastructure systems. We find that there are key barriers. First, differences in vision that reflect a lack of fit between operators of the current infrastructure and the new possibilities afforded by digital technologies. Second, lack of policies that would help facilitate the adoption of these new technologies particularly in regards to privacy and data operationalization. Third, difficulties in public engagement. These barriers to innovation hinder the capacity of cities to maximize the possibilities as well as the social value of intelligent street lights as a future-proof platform for urban knowledge and urban applications.