Smart Lighting at historic Cascine Park

One hundred and twenty new “intelligent” lighting points over a length of 2,650 metres. This is the new lighting system for the Cascine park sponsored by the Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze.  This is an important action geared to enhance the use and safety of the biggest and most important park in the city. It’s not just a question of more light, but of an intelligent system that means the light comes on when someone goes past, walking or running, integrated with the most efficient remote control technologies.

This is a realistic project that brings together two other aspects as well as lighting: safety and energy saving. So more lighting, but only when it’s necessary. This is another step forward in the plan for regenerating and relaunching the park, so that the Florentines can enjoy it by day and by night.

This action comes within the broader framework of projects related to the ‘smart city’ concept which opens up interesting opportunities for the requalification of city centres, fostering more sustainable transport of people and goods, increasing efficient energy use and stimulating social innovation. The Foundation has supported this initiative not only in terms of generic urban regeneration, but because it is convinced that in this specific case it is a tool for enhancing the wellbeing of the individuals and communities that frequent the park which is the historic green lung of Florence.

The project is sparked by a public-private partnership between the City Council and the Ente. This aspect, and the respect for reciprocal independence, qualifies this initiative as precisely the type of institutional collaboration that is an essential prerequisite for a serious smart-city project.