AI Is Keeping St. Petersburg Clean
Neural networks and thousands of cameras are now managing one of Russia’s biggest urban challenges — keeping the streets spotless.
In St. Petersburg, one of Russia’s most historic and crowded cities, cleanliness has gone digital. The city’s utilities department has introduced a smart monitoring system that uses video analytics and artificial intelligence to oversee street cleaning, track workers, and coordinate equipment in real time.
The system combines a mobile app for sanitation workers — where they log their tasks and upload before-and-after photos — with GPS beacons installed on all cleaning vehicles, from tractors to snowplows. Supervisors at the Urban Operations Control Center can track everything remotely through 100,000 cameras, with a nine-person team watching over the city 24/7.
Neural Networks Spot What People Miss
Since May, an AI system has been helping process the massive stream of camera data, automatically flagging problem areas that need attention. So far, it has identified more than 25,000 maintenance issues, from overflowing trash bins to leaf-covered sidewalks.
Depending on the complexity, flagged issues are resolved within 30 minutes to four days.
By blending AI with human oversight, St. Petersburg is turning street cleaning into a model of digital efficiency — proof that even centuries-old cities can benefit from a bit of machine intelligence.
