Construct - Issue 51

Interview

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play at FM Conway? Q

ON DIGITAL URBAN SOLUTIONS

What is digital urban solutions, and how did you find yourself working in this sector? Digital urban solutions is the evolution of our established street lighting division, expanding our expertise in intelligent connected infrastructure supported by our asset management services. My entry into the lighting industry came from attending an open day at consultant Atkins Realis’ street lighting design team. That conversation led to an unofficial apprenticeship, and I joined the team in September 2004. More than 20 years later, I’m still as passionate about this industry. There aren’t any formal academic qualifications for lighting specifically, so I built my career through industry led courses, professional development and involvement with the Institution of Lighting Professionals (ILP). I worked through professional engineering council registration grades to become an incorporated engineer and took every opportunity to learn and grow. That hands-on learning shaped my career, and I returned to education in 2018 to complete an Executive MBA when my career path changed from technical direction to business. Our digital urban solutions team uses lighting infrastructure to improve people’s experience of a city or town. The technology we deploy turns the humble lamppost that lights our streets into intelligent systems that work harder for communities. For me, the biggest and most exciting shift is that lighting infrastructure is no longer seen as just a way to keep the streets lit. We’re fast recognising that it can do much more to enhance the wellbeing of communities. Instead of assuming ‘brighter is better’, we’re now looking at adaptive lighting that responds in real time, even using colour psychology – dispersing crowds with bright white light or boosting café culture with warm tones. We’re layering lighting too, combining safe baseline What excites you most

What role does your team

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Wherever there are people and communities, there’s lighting. We want to capitalise on this, making the most of (historically) an overlooked and undervalued asset in our towns and cities. My team sits at the intersection of construction, engineering, data and design, so we can push the potential of our lighting infrastructure further – it can be a gateway to smarter, more responsive services for our communities if we use it right. We collaborate with clients to find opportunities to make the most of their lighting networks. At the core of our work are lighting columns – the everyday streetlights, so common we barely notice them. Now these familiar structures are being reimagined as platforms for smart city technology. Because they’re already powered and well-positioned, they can enable services like EV charging, wireless connectivity and sensors that allow us to collect real-time data on traffic and pedestrian movement, support net-zero goals and improve safety and accessibility through sensors and data capture. Each borough is at a different stage of adoption, but the momentum is building. Our role is to help clients navigate this transition and build on it with confidence.

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about the industry? Q

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levels with projectors or festoon lighting to make public spaces more inviting.

Data is also changing the way we work. We use tools like heat maps and risk profiling to predict patterns of degradation, and identify where assets might be failing earlier or highlighting a concern, whether with a particular product or area, how they are occurring and how frequently. This helps councils

allocate budgets more smartly and means they can plan repairs and maintenance before issues arise. 5 MINUTES

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