Street Smart Innovations: Technological Change and the Modern Street Sweeper

Abstract

Street sweeping operations have gradually evolved from largely manual and predominantly local operations involving people pushing hand brooms along streets, to encompass large-scale mechanized fleets of street sweepers managed by municipalities. The original goals of street sweeping that focused attention on sanitary conditions and waste removal have given way to broader concerns of storm water pollution reduction, urban cleanliness, and aesthetic considerations. Indeed, sanitary conditions, at least in most modern cities, is no longer a significant issue because of relatively efficient sewage systems that quickly remove and treat wastes. However, this is not true for cities in some less wealthy nations, where raw sewage and untreated wastes can still be found running along streets and in drainage ditches in both commercial and residential districts.