Image
What a school crossing sounds like at 8:12 a.m.
One week of sensor data from an east-London elementary school — and what it reveals about who the sidewalks were built for. The busiest hour is not the one the city planned for.
No city governs
in the dark.
CIVIC generates the community-centred evidence cities need to plan streets, neighbourhoods, and infrastructure that work for everyone. We create community observation projects across cities — each one generating open data that didn't exist before.
WHAT WE DO
We build sensor networks, conduct street-level audits, and work with communities and cities to generate open, high-quality data about how people experience their neighbourhoods. Then we translate those data to the planners, engineers, councillors, and mayors who need it to govern.
Active — London, Ontario
CIVIC: London
A network of AI-assisted traffic and noise sensors deployed in a residential neighbourhood in London, Ontario, Canada to measure pedestrian, cyclist, and motor vehicle activity and noise.
Learn more →
01
Community-hosted data
We work with resident volunteers who host sensors on their properties. The data belongs to the community as much as it belongs to the research.
02
Open by design
Every dataset we generate is freely available for download. We believe the evidence cities need should not be locked behind paywalls.
03
Equity-centred methods
We prioritise neighbourhoods that are underserved by existing data infrastructures. Visibility is the first step toward change.
From the field
Image
Counting people without surveilling them
How edge-AI lets us measure pedestrian volume without ever storing an image of a face. A short explainer on privacy-preserving computer vision.
Image
Why pedestrian counts belong in capital budgets
A policy brief for municipal staff on translating sensor evidence into infrastructure spend — and the political work of making invisible streets visible.
EXPLORE THE SITE
Everything on Our CIVIC Futures
Mission→
Why we exist and how community-centred research changes what cities can see.
About & Team→
Background on the platform, how we work, and the people behind it.
Projects→
Every community observation project on the platform, active and upcoming.
Data Stories→
Field notes and short reads from the neighbourhoods where we work.
In the News→
Press coverage, op-eds, and commentary on CIVIC in the wider world.
Get involved→
Host a sensor, partner on a project, or bring CIVIC to your city.
Contact→
Reach the team for press, partnership, or research enquiries.
Insights→
Longer-form analysis and writing from the CIVIC research group.
Want to host a sensor in your neighbourhood?
We're always looking for community members in our study areas who would like to participate. It takes about 20 minutes to set up and requires only a power outlet and Wi-Fi.
Get in touch →