Free Wi-Fi and high-tech parking lots are debuting in the West End, a downtown Dallas neighborhood that's become a test ground for how technology can conserve resources and improve the quality of life in cities.

They are the next phase of a project led by the Dallas Innovation Alliance, a nonprofit made up of the city of Dallas and dozens of large companies and startups. The group chose the West End as its testing ground because of its downtown Dallas location, access to public transit and mix of office buildings, apartments and restaurants.

Across the globe, cities are using new technology and tech-enabled insights to become "smart cities" and solve urban challenges from crime to pollution. For example, New York City has replaced pay phones with kiosks that provide free high-speed internet, device charging and city maps. Barcelona has installed sensors to monitor air quality and parking availability and intelligent streetlights that can adjust brightness in crowded parts of the city.

Starting in the spring, the Dallas Innovation Alliance installed digital kiosks that people can use to navigate the West End or even snap a selfie. It added intelligent LED street lighting, solar-powered environmental sensors and sensors that track pedestrian foot traffic.

The Dallas Innovation Alliance is tracking data and insights to understand possible benefits, like less crime, more cost savings and a boost in foot traffic for local businesses. After testing projects in the West End, executive director Jennifer Sanders said the group wants to fund and roll out similar ones in other Dallas neighborhoods.

"The goal is how can we make it as simple and cost effective as possible," she said. "That can be the biggest challenge to getting this scaled."

Most of the West End's pilot projects are in a four-block corridor along Market Street, between Munger Avenue and Elm Street.

Jennifer Sander, executive director of the Dallas Innovation Alliance, said the West End is an ideal place to test how technology can help cities conserve resources and improve quality of life for citizens. (Nathan Hunsinger/The Dallas Morning News

Here are the new projects announced today:

A smart irrigation system will use weather patterns and the type of vegetation to calculate how much to water in Dealey Plaza, a popular tourist destination near The Sixth Floor Museum. The sprinkler system from California-based HydroPoint Data Systems can conserve water, detect leaks and save money.

Smart water meters installed on commercial and residential buildings in the West End will monitor water use and detect leaks. A dashboard designed by Itron, a Washington-based water and energy management company, could allow property owners to look at detailed information, such as peak times for water use. It could ultimately lead to more water conservation and lower water bills.

Smart sensors that resemble a hockey puck will help parking companies count cars entering and exiting parking lots. The sensor-based system from Dallas startup ParkHub is already in one surface lot in the West End and will be added to three to five more parking lots over the next several months. The sensors allow companies to track traffic patterns and open parking spaces. It could eventually allow Dallas drivers to find an open parking spot through a smartphone app instead of circling the neighborhood.

Camera-enabled light poles will test another way to make it easier for people to find parking in downtown. The camera-based applications from AT&T will detect if a street parking spot is open or occupied along Market Street.

Public Wi-Fi will be free and available to people who visit or work in the four-block corridor of the West End. It will be powered by AT&T, Cisco, Nokia and Scientel.

GO AND DO: Smart cities community meeting

Join the Dallas Innovation Alliance for a community meeting about the new projects in the West End. It'll include remarks from City Manager T.C. Broadnax, Councilman Philip Kingston and AT&T's Smart Cities Lead Mike Zeto.

When: Tuesday, Jan. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m.

Where: The Dallas Entrepreneur Center, 311 N. Market St. #200, Dallas 75202

Parking: Two blocks from the DART Station; Metered street parking and nearby surface lots are available.