Technology
Adelaide CBD Deploys Smart City Sensors, LED Lighting in Expanded IoT Trials
Existing parking sensors, LED lighting pilots and fibre backbone set stage for expanded technology testing via multi-function poles.
How we reported this
Adelaide’s CBD operates more than 2,800 in-ground parking sensors tied to the UPark app. Drivers receive real-time availability updates, handle payments and extend sessions directly through the mobile platform.
The sensors reduce circling for spaces on busy central streets. They cut fuel use and ease pressure on limited kerbside spots during peak hours. City planners track usage patterns to adjust enforcement and pricing where demand spikes.
Lighting and data tools already in place
Over 60 sensor-driven LED street lights along Pirie Street and Hindmarsh Square run on a Cisco-Sensity pilot. The lights activate only when movement is detected, trimming energy consumption while maintaining safety after dark.
The City of Adelaide also runs an Economic Insights Dashboard and a spatial technology portal fed by more than 60 pedestrian movement sensors. These tools help staff monitor foot traffic volumes and inform decisions on events, maintenance and public space design.
Fibre network and poles ready for next products
Ten Gigabit Adelaide supplies the 10Gbps fibre optic network that carries data from the sensors and lights. Federal and council funding totalling $10 million and $12.6 million respectively supports smart tech integration at Lot Fourteen.
Multi-Function Poles are now being installed across the CBD. Each pole serves as an interoperable IoT hub that supplies WiFi, hosts additional sensors and provides a platform for testing new smart city devices without separate infrastructure builds.
The combination of high-capacity fibre, existing sensor arrays and the new poles gives the city a ready base for rolling out further connected products. Operators can add or swap devices at pole locations as trials mature, keeping capital costs lower than standalone installations.
City staff continue to refine data flows from the parking sensors, lights and pedestrian counters. The same network will support whatever devices are approved next for the poles, allowing incremental additions rather than large-scale replacements.