Smart Furniture Talk Coming to the PLA Conference in Perth
Smart furniture can promote greater community engagement with the outdoors in parks and open spaces, for better health and wellbeing.
Since 2016 Street Furniture Australia has invested in multiple award-winning smart city research collaborations with government and universities.
Join Street Furniture Australia’s Head of Innovation June Lee Boxsell to hear about the research results and lessons learnt from three key case studies, and the latest street furniture innovations, at the 2019 Parks and Leisure Conference in Perth.
Time: 4.40pm, Monday October 28, 2019 (conference day two). Venue: Crown Perth, Great Eastern Hwy, Perth WA Registration: Packages available from Parks and Leisure Australia (PLA).
The PLA Conference focuses on the importance of linking parks, open spaces and facilities to health, well-being and sporting performance – with talks and events from October 27 to 30 in Perth.
A preview of our talk, ‘Smart Furniture Revolution,’ is below.
Case Study 1: ChillOUT
How might we increase community connectivity, enable knowledge exchange and provide flexible spaces to meet, work and play?
Street Furniture Australia, collaborating with Georges River Council and UNSW, will share the learnings from current project ChillOUT, funded by the federal Smart Cities and Suburbs Program.
Installation has begun on three smart hubs in Sydney’s south-west in a town centre, green suburban park and busy streetscape.
ChillOUT Hubs by Street Furniture Australia, UNSW and Georges River Council.
Case Study 2: #BackyardExperiment
How might we transform a grey thoroughfare into a warm, family-friendly destination?
Gain insights from the #BackyardExperiment activation of Garema Place in Canberra (2016), a collaboration with AILA and the ACT Government. An eight-day design intervention with furniture, art and colour, lighting and lawn – created unexpected results.
The project caused a 190% rise in foot traffic, 247% more dwellers, and an incredible 631% more children were seen enjoying the space.
Case Study 3: Woden Experiment
How might we bring life, joy and comfort to Woden Town Square?
Street Furniture Australia was engaged by ACT Government to use human-centred research methodologies to deeply understand the hearts and minds of the Woden community. The findings were used to form the brief for a six-month activation.
Woden Experiment is still up and running and has recently been extended for another six months by ACT Minister Chris Steel.
Woden Experiment from the air, during an abseiling day by the PCYC. Photo: Canberra PCYC.
Street Furniture Innovations
Technology is now a fundamental part of Street Furniture Australia’s new product development process. Below are some of the latest innovations from the R&D team.
Add charging to outdoor furniture with PowerMe.Design your own Aria and visualise it anywhere with the Build Aria augmented reality app. Understand the latest smart materials and finishes to minimise maintenance.
Successful products are often followed by copycats. Over the past year we have become aware of an increase in reproductions of the Linea range attempting to create a similar aesthetic at a lower price. This can compromise the overall durability and environmental credentials of projects being delivered, affect ongoing maintenance requirements, and in some instances pose a risk of injury to the public. The design of Linea is deceptively simple while delivering exceptional attention to detail. Details matter not only for beauty, but also for providing durability, and safety, that will last decades. Linea strictly uses the highest quality and sustainable materials, has passed rigorous strength tests, and is designed for longevity, with easily replaceable parts. The product range is the result of hundreds of hours of research and development …
Melissa Gerke, our Communications and Education Specialist, is bringing a fun, interactive and informative presentation about our carbon neutral journey and latest products to customers in cities around Australia and in the US. In 30 minutes (plus Q&A) we will explore materials and finishes, touch and feel samples, and bond with your colleagues over delicious treats. There will also be a mystery prize for a lucky winner (optional). 2024 cities and dates include: Select from three catering options (optional): To book, contact Melissa Gerke mgerke@streetfurniture.com
Street Furniture Australia’s entire product range and manufacturing operation has received carbon neutral certification through Climate Active™. Achieving carbon neutral certification marks a significant milestone in our operation and the culmination of a four year long process of detailed measurement and analysis. Climate Active™ is the only Australian government-backed carbon neutral certification programme for businesses to measure, reduce, and offsets their carbon emissions. It is one of the most rigorous carbon-neutral programs in the world. An approved Emissions Reduction Strategy (ERS) is central to achieving certification through Climate Active. Street Furniture Australia has elected to use SBTi validated science-based targets to ensure their ERS is meaningful and aligns with the 2015 Paris Agreement – to limit global temperature rises to 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels. For those emissions that can’t be …
How might we increase community connectivity, enable knowledge exchange and provide flexible spaces to meet, work and play? ChillOUT, a collaborative project by Georges River Council, UNSW and Street Furniture Australia, seeks to answer this question. Cities are becoming compact. With this increase in high density living there is greater pressure on public space to provide opportunities to rest, connect with community and immerse in nature. What are ChillOUT Hubs? ChillOUT Hubs are prototype smart open-air community spaces. Each hub is configured using a modular system of Smart Tree shade structures, street furniture and integrated technology. They feature public WiFi, device charging, seats and tables, smart bins, smart drinking fountains, lighting, planter boxes and artwork. One of the sites – in Mortdale – runs via solar power. Sensors will monitor …
Georges River Council’s partnership with UNSW and Street Furniture Australia has received a Highly Commended Award for Cross Sectoral Collaboration at the 2019 Smart City Awards by the Committee for Sydney. The awards celebrate projects and partnerships that address the fundamental challenges faced by cities, governments, industry and communities in Greater Sydney. The three partners were recognised for their collaboration on creating smart social spaces that improve the amenity and user experience of public open spaces, as well as helping to mitigate urban heat island effects at the micro level. The trio is one of the few teams to win both Round 1 and Round 2 grants from the Australian Government’s $50m Smart Cities and Suburbs Program. The Round 1 project, Smart Social Spaces, investigated how smart furniture can be …
The City of Canterbury Bankstown transformed a section of North Terrace in Bankstown into an interactive experience for a week in June. The Future Street exhibit showcased how landscape, infrastructure and technology may advance the city to become more liveable, productive and sustainable. Future Street Canterbury-Bankstown also highlighted two of the city’s major projects under consultation: the ‘Smart CBCity Roadmap‘ and ‘Bankstown Complete Streets Transport and Place Plan‘. The 2019 pop-up follows the original 2017 Future Street activation, held in front of Customs House in Circular Quay – a project designed by Place Design Group with the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects, Smart Cities Council ANZ and the Internet of Things Alliance Australia. To help demonstrate these ideas, product vendors including Street Furniture Australia, Smart Sensor, Lime, Andreasen’s Green and …
