You know those moments when you walk through a city and notice something that makes you think, “Why didn’t anyone think of this sooner?” The Shift Pro by Italian design firm Simes is one of those designs. It’s not trying to reinvent the wheel, but it’s definitely reimagining what a simple streetlight can do.
Think of it as the Swiss Army knife of urban infrastructure. Instead of cluttering our sidewalks with separate poles for lighting, cameras, speakers, and Wi-Fi routers, Simes has condensed everything into one sleek, weatherproof system that actually looks good while doing all the heavy lifting.
Designer: Simes
At first glance, the Shift Pro looks like your typical modern street pole with a minimalist black finish. But here’s where it gets interesting: this thing can be equipped with up to four independently manageable modular heads. Each head can be customized to serve different functions, from adjustable LED lighting to IP67 security cameras, passive acoustic speakers, or Wi-Fi access points. Oh, and if you’re riding an e-bike or electric scooter, there’s even an optional door with an electrical socket for charging.
The flexibility here is genuinely impressive. Each head can rotate 360 degrees, and the integrated projectors can tilt up to 90 degrees. This means you’re not stuck with fixed lighting that only illuminates one spot. Cities can adjust the configuration based on what each specific location needs. A park might prioritize lighting and speakers for events, while a commercial district could lean into surveillance and Wi-Fi connectivity.
What I really appreciate about the Shift Pro is how it addresses a real urban planning headache. Walk down any busy street and you’ll see the visual clutter: one pole for streetlights, another for traffic cameras, a third for public Wi-Fi, maybe a fourth for something else entirely. It’s messy, it’s expensive to maintain, and honestly, it’s not great to look at. By consolidating these functions, Simes isn’t just solving an aesthetic problem but also making cities more efficient and potentially saving money on installation and maintenance.
The technical specs are solid too. With an IP66 protection rating and IK10 impact resistance, this pole is built to withstand whatever weather or vandalism throws at it. The LED lighting comes with DALI 2 dimming capabilities, which means cities can easily adjust brightness levels based on time of day or specific needs. During late hours, for instance, lights could dim to save energy but brighten when motion is detected.
Of course, there’s the elephant in the room: surveillance. The idea of integrated cameras might make some people uncomfortable. And that’s a valid concern worth discussing. We’re living in an era where the balance between public safety and privacy is constantly being negotiated, and adding more cameras to our streets isn’t a decision to take lightly. But the beauty of the modular design is that cities can choose which functions to include. If a community decides they’d rather not have cameras, they can opt for lighting and connectivity instead.
What makes the Shift Pro particularly clever is how it turns infrastructure into a service platform. Cities aren’t just getting a light pole, they’re getting a foundation for smart city technology that can evolve over time. Need to add emergency communication features later? Swap out a head. Want to upgrade the camera system? Same deal. This kind of flexibility is increasingly important as urban technology advances faster than traditional infrastructure can keep up.
Simes, based in Italy’s Franciacorta region, has been specializing in outdoor lighting for years with a focus on what they call “Light for all around the building.” The Shift Pro feels like a natural evolution of that philosophy, expanding from just illuminating spaces to genuinely enhancing how those spaces function and connect.
Since a lot of cities are getting smarter but also more cluttered with technology, the Shift Pro offers a refreshingly elegant solution. It’s not flashy or revolutionary in the disruptive sense, but it’s thoughtful design that makes you wonder why we’ve been doing things the complicated way for so long. Sometimes the best innovations aren’t about inventing something entirely new, but about combining what already exists in a way that just makes sense.
The post One Pole to Rule Them All: The Swiss Army Knife of Streetlights first appeared on Yanko Design.