Dr. Tabkhi received NSF CIVIC award

City centers nationwide are rapidly evolving from a traditional downtown into a vibrant Central Activity District. Yet, city leaders, small businesses, and residents lack timely, trustworthy data on how people move through and experience these public spaces. Recently awarded NSF project led by Dr. Hamed Tabkhi at ECE will convert existing security cameras into privacy-preserving urban intelligence sensors. Instead of transmitting recognizable faces, each camera’s video is processed on a small computer installed on-site, where people are represented only as anonymous motion heatmaps. The resulting insights, crowd-flow patterns, congested walkways, accessibility barriers, and potential safety risks will be shared in real-time with planners, shop owners, event venues, and the public through dashboards and mobile alerts. A strong partnership among UNC Charlotte, Charlotte Center City Partners, Central Piedmont Community College, Law Enforcement, and a network of local businesses ensures the work is co-designed with the very communities it serves. By demonstrating that advanced AI can be deployed ethically, transparently, and with measurable civic benefit, the pilot offers a replicable model for safer, more walkable downtowns nationwide.

https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2527312&HistoricalAwards=false