May 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 47

HIGHBRIDGE PARK REPORT
Visitors in Space

Weekly Average

30%
70%

Returning
New

Dwell Time

35mins

Share

Activity Score Overview

June 6

Device View

June 12

	

er and more connected generations, Smart Parks can help park
agencies manage amenities in
new ways. In a first-of-its-kind
pilot project with the NYC Parks
Department, Soofa Benches,
containing solar-powered sensor technology, will measure the
pedestrian usage of a large park
in the Bronx. The data collected
will include a basic tallying of
park users entering and exiting
the park. Knowing this information in real-time allows baseline
usage rates to be captured. From
this information, the park's " activity score " will be developed.
With activity scores in hand, department staff can begin to measure the efficacy of programming
and capital expenditures. This
eliminates the guesswork around
how much a community basketball tournament increased park
activity, or how many people
have been using a new entrance
built with last year's capital improvements budget.
Knowing the answers to these
questions is increasingly import-

June 18

June 24

Devices

Flow By Origin

5 Smart Benches installed

Serial

tivity is a basic facet of life. For
many, connection is a lifeline. It's
no surprise, then, that amenities
like public Wi-Fi and free phone
charging have made their way
into public places and spaces.
A Smart Park goes far beyond
just giving connected generations
what they want. By creating Smart
Parks, park directors can begin to
harness the energy of people and
groups who over the years may
have become disconnected from
public spaces and the outdoors.
After all, parks facing threats of
budget cuts or complete removal
in favor of tax-generating new developments will find it extremely
powerful to have highly energized
and passionate people on their side.
Look no further than the Lawn on
D in Boston's Seaport Neighborhood as an example. This park is
technology-enabled and has become home to popular gatherings
like concerts, food truck festivals
and numerous community-driven
events. People love it and will fight
for it to remain and grow.
In addition to engaging young-

Device 233

June 6: Event
Avg. Time on Site: 35mins

800
600
400
200
June 1

June 1,16' - June 25, 16'

Export

Location

Status

232

Cora

Alias

40.842359, -73.930905

online

233

Hugo

40.842277, -73.929667

online

234

Christian

40.837062, -73.936560

online

235

Simon

40.842379, -73.934918

online

236

Karen

40.845341, -73.931617

online

Soofa's dashbord interface includes a
wide variety of data points that help
park managers learn more about the
community they are serving.

ant as budgets become tighter and
measurement becomes the status
quo. The most innovative park
departments will take action by
seeking out new technologies and
partnering with startups and established players in the industry.
It is most important to remember
that making big changes doesn't
require taking dramatic action.
As Bobbi Nance, senior manager of strategy and innovation for
the Park District of Oak Park in
Illinois told us, " Sometimes park
departments tend to overlook the
value of pilot projects. "
Small interventions go a long way
in getting the department on the
same page around innovative technologies and, importantly, demonstrate to the public that meaningful
and exciting change is actually happening. 
Edward Krafcik is the Director of
Strategic Partnerships at Soofa (edward@
soofa.co).

W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G | 2 0 1 6 T E C H N O LO G Y G U I D E |

Parks & Recreation

45
May 2016 - Parks & Recreation

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2016 - Parks & Recreation
