(Miami, FL): In partnership with IKE Smart City, the City of Miami unveiled the first in a series of IKE interactive kiosks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 22, 2021. Four of the thirteen kiosks planned for the Wynwood neighborhood have been installed, with the remainder to follow shortly. IKE Smart City worked collaboratively with the City of Miami and Wynwood Business Improvement District on location selection, kiosk branding, on-screen content, and community engagement. The event marks the launch of a City-wide initiative to install up to 150 IKE kiosks in locations that span Downtown, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Little Havana, Overtown, and Allapattah. A minimum of 10% of the network has been allocated to underserved communities.
IKE puts innovative technology on the ground in commercial, pedestrian-oriented areas to offer advanced wayfinding, local business support, and other new features and benefits. The program is delivered, operated, and maintained by IKE Smart City at no cost to the City or taxpayers. All aspects of the program are funded by strictly controlled advertising content that is displayed when IKE is not in use. The City receives an ongoing stream of the revenue generated by media sales and allocates a percentage of those dollars to five key quasi-governmental organizations, proportionate to the number of kiosks installed within their boundaries.
The IKE initiative represents the City’s focus on technology as a mechanism to enhance quality of life and drive economic growth. IKE Smart City CEO, Pete Scantland, will join Miami Mayor Francis Suarez on an upcoming episode of “Cafecito Talk” to discuss the kiosk platform. Hosted by the Mayor, the social media video series features insightful conversations with technology leaders, entrepreneurs, industry experts, and influential public figures.
“As the City of Miami continues to evolve into one of the country’s leading technology hubs, we are so excited to add IKE digital kiosks to our rights-of-way to build on our commitment to smart city initiatives and reinforce our role as innovators,” said Mayor Suarez.
The double-sided ADA-compliant kiosks have two digital touchscreens and an engaging suite of interactive applications that drive discovery, mobility, and equity. Each kiosk serves as a free Wi-Fi hotspot and is location-aware, displaying information specific to the surrounding area. Multilingual content includes detailed listings of area businesses, cultural institutions, events, civic resources, job
listings, and social services such as homeless shelters, addiction recovery programs, and food support. IKE’s advanced wayfinding features are designed to turn information into action by helping users navigate to their destination. Powered by Transit, a leader in real-time public transit data aggregation, an easy-to-use trip planning application provides users with different ways to get from point A to point B using multimodal transportation such as bus, scooters, bike share, car share, ride-hail, and other forms of public transit.
IKE also enhances the City’s ability to connect with residents and visitors by serving as a widespread communication platform. Digital space on the kiosks is reserved for City content, and IKE can disseminate critical public safety information in a highly visible way. Through a real-time feed from the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), the kiosks immediately display emergency messaging such as severe weather warnings, AMBER alerts, active shooter events, and other information provided by over 1,000 authorities certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
“We are thrilled to partner with the City of Miami, one of the fastest-growing and most innovative cities in the country. IKE will further activate the pedestrian experience while narrowing the digital divide through widespread connectivity and equal access to information,” said Pete Scantland, CEO of IKE Smart City. “Our kiosk platform is designed to add value to the cities in which we do business and we’re excited to serve the residents and visitors of Miami.”
IKE Smart City’s commitment to developing media platforms that support the production and presentation of public art is reflected in IKE’s ongoing programming mix. The kiosks will regularly exhibit new projects by local and international artists in collaboration with some of Miami’s most recognized cultural organizations. A launch project with the iconic Wynwood Walls features the commissioned works of Miami-based artists such as Baghead, Golden 305, Nico, and Rei Ramirez. IKE has also partnered with Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) to promote their exhibitions through advertising and feature art from their permanent collection and exhibition program. The work of Italian artist Marco Brambilla, best known for his mesmerizing, intricate video collages, will be shown throughout the summer and fall, in conjunction with his new exhibition, Heaven’s Gate, which opened at PAMM June 17th. Other exciting partnerships are in development, including a collaboration with Miami-based Fringe Projects who commissions experimental public art and is curating a special project for IKE to launch later this year.
In conjunction with the launch event, a special promotion supporting businesses and local organizations in the Wynwood Arts District is running through the end of this month. From art galleries, award- winning restaurants, and artisanal bakeries to craft breweries, bars, museums, and retailers, the neighborhood is packed with things to do. IKE Smart City partnered with several of these businesses to create custom applications with integrated QR codes for display on IKE’s home screen. When scanned by a kiosk user, the QR codes provide access to exclusive discounts during the promotional period.
“Wynwood is the first of many neighborhoods in Miami set to install IKE Smart City kiosks, a City-wide initiative to help pedestrians better navigate around the city and support local businesses,” said Manny Gonzalez, Executive Director at the Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID). “There are over
400 businesses within the Wynwood Arts District alone, many of them small and locally owned, so the BID is hopeful this new partnership will be beneficial for both the businesses and visitors.”
ABOUT IKE SMART CITY
IKE Smart City pioneers smart city technology to improve lives in cities. The company was formed to develop and operate the premier interactive kiosk platform with the goal of building a wayfinding and city communication system for the digital age and delivering it in a self-sustaining business model at no cost to city partners. IKE kiosks help cities, business improvement districts, and destination marketing organizations connect with the public, encourage a pedestrian-oriented environment, and tell the story of their city. For more information, visit ikesmartcity.com.
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