Most of us think of streetlights as inanimate objects that help humans see in the dark. But, streetlights are more than what we see. Did you know that modern streetlights can talk to us and other objects around us? In doing so they can build civic fabric, improve our lives, and connect people with government like never before. In fact, they may hold the power to save our democracy. In this talk, Almis scratches the surface of nothing less than a revolution in how people perceive inanimate objects that are maintained by their local government and how these objects will help us respond to climate change, save lives, and strengthen the fabric of our civil society.
Almis Udrys began his career evaluating and improving state government operations at the California State Auditor’s office and then continued as a health care policy consultant for the State Legislature. More recently, while serving in various advisory roles at the City of San Diego, Almis has delivered results on issues including open data, water diversification, strategic planning, economic development, and infrastructure funding.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at