Smart Transport Hub becomes Citisense

Daniel Hanshaw discusses rebranding and using technology to deliver data-driven transport, traffic and parking schemes

Consultancy Smart Transport Hub as rebranded as Citisense.

Launched in 2020 with the aim of providing innovative transport solutions to local authorities, Smart Transport Hub now has three offices and a team of 34 staff with local authority officers.

The consultancy undertake a range of services in the sustainable transport, Traffic Regulation Order, parking and kerbside management fields.

In the parking arena, the company worked with Islington Council to deliver the UK’s first parking permit scheme for electric vehicles (EVs). This was a scheme which created a hierarchy that saw larger EVs pay a higher rate for a parking permit in the North London borough. The EV permit scheme won the Inspiration trophy at the British Parking Awards 2023.

Citisense was founded and is led by managing director Christian Constantinides and commercial director Daniel Hanshaw, who discussed the reasons for the rebrand and how the expanding team envisages the new look company evolving.

Parking Review: Changing an established brand is a big decision, so what was the decision point for adopting a new identity?
Daniel Hanshaw: The business has seen steady organic growth over the last five years, especially through ongoing research and development of technological innovation to support our clients. We wanted to open ourselves to a wider market with the technology at the forefront of what we are doing. It was a journey that took over 18 months and wasn’t an easy decision. With Citisense there are no real changes other than our identity. It is still the same people, it is still the same vision and we still have the same goals.

How did you select the new name?
Through lots of conversations with branding experts, lots of discussions of why Christian and I originally set up Smart Transport Hub including our strategic vision and plan for growth. This included a number of workshops and the development of a robust business and marketing strategy, we discussed our value propositions, identity, key differences, offerings, passions, purpose, vision and mission and Citisense clearly encompassed everything in one, a perfect some might say. Enabling change is at the forefront of everything we do at Citisense and we firmly believe we are the “people first transport innovation company”.

What does the new name signal in terms of the company's aims, ambitions and services?
Citisense is a people-first transport innovation company where technology helps our clients to make data-driven decisions and deliver scheme to street success. Our business has a lot to offer through technology and service solutions and we will strive to provide access to the most advanced data, helping equip our clients with the evidence-based case for change to increase the chance of project proposal success. We work closely in partnership which acts as a close and trusted in-house support to deal with the public and navigate the process of change. We aim to grow, we will continue with R&D and push our technology alongside our professional consultancy services. We have a massive vision we are keen to deliver.

Your team recently attended a US event – is there an international dimension to the new name and plans?
Absolutely. We are very keen to grow into the international market, especially from a technology perspective. We are exhibiting at the Smart City Expo and World Congress next week in Barcelona and then exhibiting at CoMotion with the Department for Business and Trade the following week in Los Angeles. We see technology as a fundamental growth part of the business and the international market is something we’re keen to grow into more.

Are there any changes or additions to team membership and roles?
Yes. We are delighted to announce Nicola Mastini as our new head of technology, Jack Jerrom as our new head of design and Faith Coles as our head of sustainability. These are three very key people in the business whom we are delighted they have accepted and changed their roles within Citisense to help facilitate our growth and ambitions. Seeing growth form within is critical to the ongoing success and future of Citisense.