Smart city security: Scalable video and audio
Ciudad Cayalá blends smart urbanism with top-tier smart city security. A video management system with 2000 Axis cameras, speakers, and analytics enhances city management, providing protection, efficiency, and strategic data.
The smart city that has it all
A planned city where everything is less than a 15-minute walk away. This is the reality of Ciudad Cayalá, a smart city project initiated by architect and urban planner Léon Krier and the engineer and CEO of the company Héctor Leal. With an existing area of around 980,000 square meters that will expand to 1.2 million square meters, Ciudad Cayalá was born from the dream of creating spaces that promote quality of life, community, and responsible urban development with first-class safety for residents, visitors, and employees.
Investing in smart security to create a safe city
According to Juan Carlos López Rodríguez, Chief Value Management Officer, Ciudad Cayalá, investing in smart security is essential for creating innovative and sustainable communities. "Our vision is for Ciudad Cayalá to be a safe city, backed by a robust infrastructure and a video surveillance system,” he explains. “We aim to make this project the safest city in Guatemala and a model we can replicate elsewhere, always staying at the forefront of innovation."
A robust video surveillance system for a safe city
Unified video management system
The entire Ciudad Cayalá operation was designed by TAS – an Axis partner company specializing in security. It is controlled by video management software (VMS) by Milestone Systems, which manages and processes information collected by more than 2,000 Axis cameras installed throughout the city.
Smart vehicle monitoring with LPR
This network includes license plate recognition (LPR) cameras that read plates from approximately 400,000 vehicles per month along the main corridor, helping support investigations and traffic-related public safety efforts.
IP audio and analytics
Audio solutions are installed in common areas and indoor environments. The implementation of public address (PA) systems in the Plaza Mayor expands this integrated ecosystem, which also includes AI-powered analytics that provide people counting for crowd management, crossline detection for boundary monitoring, and granular object detection and classification for enhanced situational awareness. This information helps Ciudad Cayalá to make informed, real-time decisions.
Network cameras that monitor and analyze city flow
In addition, network cameras are installed in strategic areas. One example is the bell tower, where a PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) camera monitors the entire main street and performs a detailed analysis of the flow of people and vehicles. This approach significantly expands data generation and allows vendors and shopkeepers to make more informed decisions.
These solutions are a sound investment, consistently meeting our high standards. We’ve explored other options, but none have delivered the same level of quality, security, and support that has been crucial to our success. The customer support team understands our needs and helps us achieve our goals.
High-quality cameras ensure return on investment
It is impossible to think of a smart city that does not seek to optimize investments to obtain the highest quality of life for its inhabitants. The city’s system is optimized to reduce license consumption, combining network cameras that work with a single cable and a single software license, saving resources and installation time. According to José Vielman, deputy general manager of TAS, it’s the quality of the cameras that drives return on investment (ROI).
"The failure rate of Axis cameras is very low, less than 1%. In Ciudad Cayalá, we have cameras that are more than 10 years old that work perfectly,” says Vielman. “Proper installation, which follows standards, allows equipment to run smoothly for up to 10 years and is fully reliable during this time.”
Smart analytics transform city management
Incorporating more advanced analytics, such as vehicle counting, LPR, and people flow monitoring, Ciudad Cayalá management is studying how to use strategic camera points to track the entry of customers into stores to support more accurate decision-making by retailers. As Juan Carlos López Rodríguez comments, the partnership with TAS and Axis has made it possible to collect more data and expand solutions.
"Once commercial spaces are leased, the infrastructure’s role expands 24-hour surveillance to help manage those areas. The cameras will begin to generate strategic information that will help improve the flow of business for the city's merchants. We still have projects pending, such as installing more loudspeakers. These represent a new line of business, but they can also be used to issue critical alerts, for instance, during an earthquake."
Partnering for smart city security
A core principle for Ciudad Cayalá’s security was to create a system that would never become obsolete. According to José Vielman, the team recognized the project’s enormous potential for expansion from day one. “This foresight demanded a technology partner that could provide not only cutting-edge solutions but also a clear path for continuous evolution,” says Vielman. “The need for state-of-the-art, adaptable solutions is more critical than ever.”
Vielman explains, “Our strategy from the beginning was to select a camera vendor whose technology we knew would evolve with the project. As the city was developed in phases, its security system grew right along with it. We started with the first generation of Axis cameras and have continuously integrated the latest advances year after year. This approach ensures the project always benefits from the highest-level solutions and has been fundamental to our long-term success.”
Looking ahead – Optimizing city management
Expansion and integrated audio systems
Ciudad Cayalá is an open and constantly expanding project. It is expected that it will eventually reach about 3 million square meters dedicated to planned urbanization, where natural harmony is integrated with modern urbanism. The vision is to create a place designed to promote well-being, conviviality, and connection. Looking ahead, the idea is to invest in the integration of all audio systems in the external areas, combining ambient sound with emergency signals via network speakers to ensure efficient communication.
Leveraging data for community safety and operations
In addition, they hope to optimize the system to leverage more data, both for community safety and for marketing and operations. "An example is the analysis of safety on construction sites, such as the detection of people without helmets. This transforms accident management from a corrective to a preventive approach, allowing alerts or messages to construction companies. Today, it is no longer necessary for one person to monitor the 2,000 cameras 24 hours a day; the aim is to integrate technology, audio, and analysis to optimize operation and safety", concludes Juan Carlos López Rodríguez.
Products & solutions
Our partner organizations
You may also be interested in...
Get in touch
Want to know how you can benefit from Axis solutions? Get in touch and we will help you.
Contact us