NB: this article has been written by Eco-Counter's partner in Finland, Nodeon. Credit for this text : Janita Kingelin, Marketing Manager.
To help develop the vitality of the city center, the city of Jyväskylä has implemented a measurement solution that tracks pedestrian and bike traffic at the “Compass” intersection area in the heart of the city center.
“Visitor numbers are a key indicator of the vitality of the city center. With this data, we can show business operators that the city center is a vibrant place, and worth considering for business and investment opportunities,” says Project Manager Janne Viitamies from the city of Jyväskylä.
“Shopping centers acquire tenants by providing data on how many customers walk through their doors each year. The city center must offer similar information using the same logic. This is our service interest towards the business community in Jyväskylä. We are currently developing the distribution of measurement data to market players in collaboration with Nodeon,” Viitamies explains.
According to Viitamies, it would also be significant if other Finnish cities adopted similar solutions. This would enable the production of comparative visitor data between cities.
Business and cultural events support each other
For example, Yle has reported on the changing role of city centers, where events and public spaces have surpassed shopping as the main attractions. However, culture and commercial services can be developed as a whole, where both benefit from each other.
The measurement of pedestrian and bike traffic was also utilized in the joint KUDOS project of Jyväskylä, Oulu, Kuopio, and Lahti, which focused on developing digital competence in public cultural activities. The project produced statistics on the traffic during Jyväskylä's three-day City of Light event.
“It’s thanks to Nodeon’s service concept that we were able to deploy measurement equipment for the City of Light event on a tight schedule. From an urban development perspective, it’s great to have precise numerical information on the impact of events. I proudly and happily presented the measurement results at the final seminar of the KUDOS project,” Viitamies praises.
Executive reports from the data analysis environment are an important tool for data-driven decision-making. The graph below shows the visitor peaks measured at the central intersection during the City of Light event.
AI cameras analyses and recognizes different modes of traffic
The city center is a challenging environment for measuring customer potential, as cyclists, pedestrians, and e-scooters move in many directions across squares and intersections. Planning and implementing the measurement, along with choosing the most suitable solution for the challenge, is key to achieving a successful result.
For Jyväskylä’s needs, Eco-Counter’s camera-based Citix AI counter was selected. This solution uses artificial intelligence to count and recognize multimodal traffic. It offers in-depth analytics, revealing how seasons, holidays, and events affect traffic patterns. The data analysis platform consolidates the results, making the information easy to interpret and share with stakeholders.