Clark County, Nevada’s Sunset Park to launch smart technology pilot project

These days, everything is smart—televisions, phones, watches and even city parks. In Clark County, Nevada, administrators will soon be able to see park occupancy, how many vehicles have entered and other data points in real time. 

The initiative will be implemented through a collaboration between Clark County and NTT Corporation, a tech company. To launch the pilot program, optical sensors will be deployed throughout Sunset Park, with the information readily available on a web-based dashboard.  

“Sunset Park is one our largest and most popular parks in the Las Vegas Valley,” said Jim Gibson, vice chair of the Clark County Commission in a statement. “The data from this project will help us to better understand how the park is utilized so that we can respond with solutions as necessary—not only at Sunset Park but at other recreational facilities across the County where we may deploy this technology.” 

Beyond documenting information in real time, the system—known as NTT Smart Solutions—can predict future utilization of the park and its facilities, along with “vehicle volume in and out of specific roads within the park and near parking lots.” And with this data, Clark County administrators “will be able to derive actionable insights for key stakeholders to drive better decisions and outcomes and set forth a foundation for future smart park initiatives.” 

NTT Smart Solutions was launched in 2018 as a system to improve public safety and help with urban mobility, according to the statement. 

For the county, it’s a way to “innovative technologies” and be “able to increase the safety and security of our citizens while also improving our internal operations. We believe NTT Smart Solutions will deliver results in both these areas,” said Bob Leek, Clark County’s deputy chief information officer. 

Other organizations that have implemented NTT Smart Solutions include the University of California, Berkeley for curb management, INDYCAR for improved fan experience, Chicago’s Navy Pier for increased situational awareness and various transit agencies for passenger safety.