15 Nov 2016

A touchscreen pong game that pedestrians can play while waiting to cross the road is one of the new central city initiatives Christchurch City Council is supporting.

The SmartCross game has been installed at the Colombo and Lichfield St intersection and allows people to interact with pedestrians on the other side of the road while they are waiting for the traffic lights to change.

There are plans to install the game at three other central city intersections before the year’s end.

Christchurch City Council Head of Urban Regeneration, Urban Design and Heritage, Carolyn Ingles, says the game is a fun initiative and fits with the Council’s desire to trial creative new ideas and technologies.

The SmartCross touchscreens have a dual use as they can also be used to display messages such as information about central city parking or public events that are on.

“Christchurch is a city renowned for its innovation and creativity and wherever possible we want to support companies who are thinking outside the box and trying new things, particularly when they have the potential to add to Christchurch’s appeal,’’ Ms Ingles says.

The SmartCross game is part of a suite of ‘smart’ initiatives the Council will be rolling out over the coming months and an example of how the Council is working with businesses to help make Christchurch a smart 21st century city.