Lidar-Based Situational Awareness For Smart Cities: Building Intelligent Infrastructure

Abstract

Urban areas worldwide are deploying intelligent infrastructure to enhance safety, optimize traffic flow, and improve operational efficiency. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology has emerged as a critical sensing modality within smart city frameworks, capable of capturing millions of three-dimensional data points per second. When combined with artificial intelligence and edge computing, LiDAR enables advanced situational awareness systems that can process dense point clouds to detect and track objects in real time. Deploying such platforms in public environments requires careful consideration of engineering design principles, while integration frameworks must merge LiDAR with other IoT sources to create comprehensive monitoring capabilities. Privacy preservation through anonymized data extraction remains essential for protecting citizen information, and real-world implementations in metropolitan smart corridor projects have demonstrated practical benefits. This article presents a blueprint for developing interoperable and ethically managed perception systems that support safer urban environments while balancing technological capability with community trust. By bringing together sensing technology, artificial intelligence, and governance policy in the shared development of urban mobility infrastructure, cities can establish foundations for sustainable urban development that respects individual privacy rights.