John Kimmance from Ordnance Survey explains how mapping over six million streetlights could help create safer, better connected routes for walking, cycling and travel as the nights draw in.
00:00Ordnance Survey's latest data release is shining a light on how well our streets are illuminated
00:07and how that affects the way we travel.
00:09The new mapping project links millions of streetlights to the nation's roads and paths,
00:14offering insights that could help make journeys safer after dark.
00:17What we've done is we've captured about six and a half million streetlights across the country
00:22and obviously that then allows local areas to have a better understanding
00:27about what the streetlights are in their area which then allows them to do a range of things
00:31such as identify safe routes to school, enhance where the streetlights are etc.
00:36The data doesn't just show which areas are well lit, it also highlights where improvements could make a real difference.
00:42Local authorities, emergency services and transport planners could use it to target safer routes
00:48and improve accessibility across communities.
00:51We've created an algorithm that allows us to identify where the throw of that light for that streetlight
00:56actually goes to then identify the proportion of roads that are fully lit or partially lit or not lit at all.
01:02And that allows local authorities to understand, right, you know, if we want to create a new route
01:08or we've got a route that's used a lot by, for example, children going to and from school,
01:13have we got enough streetlights on that area and do we need to enhance it?
01:17So the police are particularly interested in this to identify whether there's a link between crime and repeat crime
01:23in a particular area and actually perhaps the lack of lighting.
01:27The findings also play a role in improving wellbeing, encouraging more walking and cycling
01:32and helping to identify areas where better lighting might reduce crime or antisocial behaviour.
01:38We capture lots of information about buildings etc.
01:41But the streetlights then just provide another level of information that may or may not be something that could help prevent a crime.
01:50With more than six million streetlights mapped, this project represents a major step forward in using location data to shape safer, smarter cities.
01:59It could even pave the way for future digital mapping that supports wider sustainability and infrastructure goals.
02:05Actually, streetlights are also have got potential to be used in the future.
02:09So we're all interested in our mobile phones and 5G and they can actually form stations for 5G network.
02:17Also, the evidence of power going to that particular area.
02:22So we're interested in whether or not streetlights can be used for creating electric vehicle charging points, etc.
02:28So that is very, very interesting.
02:37So we're interested in helping this.
02:41To do that we don't have any opportunities.
02:43We deliver a lot of new ideas, we don't have any opportunities.
02:48To do that, we don't have any opportunities.
02:50We're looking at things that we're going to have to look at.
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