Spotted: Cities are responsible for around three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions, part of which can be attributed to inefficient road transport networks. Indeed, according to UK startup Route Konnect, the UK’s roads are up to 30 per cent inefficient. 

To tackle this problem, Route Konnect has developed technology that anonymously analyses video feeds to provide real-time insights into the ways in which people move across space – whether in a vehicle or on foot. These insights can then be used to make planning decisions that improve air quality or optimise traffic flow. 

What sets Route Konnect apart is the fact that it does not rely on privacy-infringing technologies such as facial or automatic number plate recognition. Instead, it works by analysing flows across multiple cameras, matching the paths travelled by people and vehicles across different camera views. 

Each of the ‘heuristics’ Route Konnect uses to analyse flows is less powerful on its own than technologies like facial recognition. But combined, they create a system with an accuracy rate of 98 per cent.

In the archive, Springwise has spotted other innovations working to optimise urban planning, including one platform helping to decarbonise cities and a ‘1-minute city’ design.

Written By: Amanda Simms