AI to keep eye on crowds

Camas leaders say foot traffic data needed to plan for events, parks and more

Meghan Sciascia of Vancouver, from left in green, enjoys playtime at Heritage Park with her daughter, Paloma, 4, as well as Ricky Thayer-Daughtery, 5, of Camas and his mom, Faith, on July 31. The city of Camas is partnering with a crowd-tracking company to get an accurate count of parks visitors. (Photos by Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Cars fill the parking lot at Heritage Park in Camas on July 31. The city of Camas has signed a three-year contract with Placer.ai, a data company city leaders hope will provide them with a better idea of how many people attend city events and visit Camas’ parks, trails and other public amenities. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

A visitor to Heritage Park looks for a parking spot in Camas on a Thursday afternoon in July. The city of Camas has entered into a three-year partnership with an artificial intelligence company to track crowd sizes at city events and in public spaces such as Heritage Park, which often sees overcrowding and parking challenges. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Jaclyn Kopalek, left, and Blair Harvey, both of Portland, cruise the waters of Lacamas Lake as they paddle toward Heritage Park on July 31. The city of Camas is working with Placer.ai to track how many of the visits to Camas parks are coming from outside the city or the state.

The city of Camas will start using artificial intelligence to better understand how many people attend city events, drive Camas’ streets and take advantage of its parks and trails.

“In our strategic plan, we want to really be heavily reliant on data and numbers. This gives us that opportunity,” said Bryan Rachal, the city’s communications director.

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