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Melbourne – The City of Melbourne in Australia is calling for resident input as to how sensors can be used in the city. The sensors can detect and collect data on air quality, pedestrian activity and rubbish bin levels, among others.

The City of Melbourne and the Emerging Technologies Research Lab (ETLab) at Monash University have launched a project to improve the way smart cities are built. In a move to make their city smarter, they are involving residents.

Under the project, a live activation in Melbourne's Argyle Square enables residents to interact with various sensor technologies, according to an article. These sensors can detect and collect data about microclimates, pedestrian activity, rubbish bin levels, air quality, and park activity. Residents can also scan QR codes that explain each technology and allow them to provide feedback once they have interacted.

"By helping the City of Melbourne engage with the local community early in the process of testing new smart technologies and planning the future city strategy, this project will contribute important insights into how people perceive, value, and use emerging technologies in the urban environment," ETLab director Sarah Pink said in the article. 

Melbourne is also getting its first traffic congestion management team. Six traffic managers will respond in real-time to bottlenecks, incidents and breakdowns in three traffic hot spots, as well as identifying how to improve traffic flow, such as extending turn lanes or blocking through-lanes.