Smarter security for mixed-use spaces: balancing analytics, privacy, and convenience

As urban environments evolve into mixed-use ecosystems combining residential, retail, and commercial functions, security integrators face the challenge of maintaining both safety and convenience.
 
From office-retail hubs to co-working spaces and high-rise residences, integrated access control and video surveillance systems are being reimagined with analytics and automation to enhance responsiveness while respecting privacy.
 
Experts say analytics, cloud connectivity, and tighter system integration are changing how operators monitor large, open areas. The focus has shifted from constant observation to selective, intelligence-driven monitoring that alerts security teams only when necessary.

Selective monitoring through analytics 

“Integrated video surveillance and access control systems are vital for securing mixed-use environments like commercial-residential complexes and office-retail hubs, ensuring robust protection while maintaining user convenience,” said Richard Tsui, Senior Technical Account Manager, Asia.
 
Tsui explained that artificial intelligence plays a crucial role in filtering the vast amount of data generated in such settings. “AI-powered surveillance detects anomalies, such as unauthorized access, without storing personal data, addressing privacy concerns, and preventing unauthorized data sharing,” he said.
 
By leveraging historical access data, these systems can “analyze typical people flow and behavior, filtering routine activities to highlight potential risks, such as suspicious individuals or areas requiring closer scrutiny.”
 
This selective approach improves situational awareness and reduces operator fatigue. Seamless integration with access control through APIs, Tsui added, “enables real-time monitoring, geofencing, and comprehensive audit trails, ensuring compliance and proactive threat detection.”

Balancing awareness and privacy

The challenge of maintaining vigilance without infringing on privacy is particularly acute in open areas like lobbies and retail zones. James Clark, Director of Sales, EMEA and APAC at AMAG Technology, said analytics can help achieve that balance.
 
“One of the challenges in mixed-use spaces is finding the balance between situational awareness and respecting people’s privacy,” Clark said. “Analytics help strike that balance. Instead of blanket surveillance, you can set rules so operators only get alerted when something unusual happens, for example, someone trying to enter a restricted elevator bank or a loading dock after hours.”
 
Access control systems also play an important role in data governance. “On the access control side, workflow and role-based controls ensure that only the right people see sensitive events or video clips,” Clark explained. “Combined with audit trails and retention policies, you can show accountability and compliance without oversharing data. It’s a way of being smart about what you monitor so that security teams focus their attention where it matters most.” 

Edge and cloud-based privacy protection

For Hanchul Kim, CEO of Suprema, privacy protection starts at the edge. “In lobbies, retail zones, and lounges, constant surveillance raises both privacy concerns and operator overload,” Kim said. To address this, Suprema’s AI-enabled systems rely on event-based monitoring. “Real Time Monitoring is event-driven — security staff don’t need to watch every feed but are alerted to what matters,” he said.
 
Suprema’s architecture also ensures privacy by design. “Biometric templates never leave the device, and only encrypted data flows to the cloud,” Kim said. This model supports selective, security-focused monitoring while respecting residents’ and visitors’ privacy.

Integration and automation in practice

Integrating video management with access control has proven essential for faster incident response and operational efficiency. Clark pointed to examples from corporate and multi-tenant buildings.
 
“At a large customer in a high-rise building, integrating Symmetry Access Control with Symmetry GUEST Visitor Management streamlined the entire lobby process,” he said. “Security staff had clear audit trails for every visitor while visitors themselves experienced a quick, polished check-in.”
 
He added that pairing access and video systems can significantly improve investigative capabilities. “When Symmetry Access and Symmetry CompleteView Video Management are deployed together, operators can investigate incidents faster and with more context. It also provides flexibility for the future, which is essential in constantly evolving properties, adding retailers, shared spaces, or new amenities.”
 
Keeping systems updated is another key lesson. “Newer Symmetry versions include smarter alarm routing and system health dashboards, which reduce noise and downtime,” Clark said. “Those improvements translate into real operational efficiency in a complex, multi-tenant environment.”

Lessons from real deployments

Real-world deployments show how AI and integrated systems improve both security and management. Tsui noted that progress has been driven by more informed end users. “The rapid advancement of AI technology has transformed security in mixed-use environments like commercial-residential complexes and office-retail hubs, meeting the demands of increasingly savvy end users,” he said.
 
“Today’s customers, empowered by transparent online information, understand best practices and seek solutions that optimize both security and convenience,” Tsui added. “By challenging the boundaries of innovation, we empower businesses to stay connected with our people and goals, protecting these connections with unwavering commitment to excellence.”
 
Kim highlighted how cloud-native platforms and mobile credentials are shaping modern
deployments. “Co-working spaces: Remote enrollment, mobile/QR credentials, and centralized multi-site management reduce admin overhead and let operators control spaces from anywhere,” he said.
 
In residential buildings, he added, “fine-grained zoning separates private units from shared amenities; expiring QR passes and partitioned tenant control simplify resident and service provider access.” For retail and franchise chains, “pre-configured reader kits and cloud dashboards enable quick rollouts, centralized credentialing, and portfolio-wide memberships (one credential across many sites).”
 
Kim said these implementations reflect a clear trend toward scalability and simplicity. “Across these deployments, BioStar Air proves that cloud-native, mobile-first, visitor-ready design with edge resilience makes multi-tenant and mixed-use operations simpler, more scalable, and more secure,” he explained.

The importance of open integration

Open integration remains critical for the success of smart buildings. Tsui noted that APIs have become the bridge connecting diverse systems. “Seamless integration with access control systems via APIs enables real-time monitoring, geofencing, and comprehensive audit trails,” he said. For integrators, this means easier customization and the ability to add functionality as tenants’ or operators’ needs evolve.
 
Clark agreed that flexibility and interoperability are essential for long-term deployments. Multi-tenant environments in particular require systems that can adapt to changing access requirements without major reconfiguration. “It also provides flexibility for the future, which is essential in constantly evolving properties,” he said. 

Toward intelligent and human-centered security

While technology continues to advance, experts emphasize that analytics should augment human decision-making. The next phase of security design will prioritize systems that give operators clear, contextual data rather than overwhelming them with alerts.

For integrators and consultants, the growing maturity of AI-driven analytics and edge-cloud architectures presents both opportunities and new responsibilities. Ensuring compliance, safeguarding privacy, and maintaining interoperability are now as important as physical protection and system uptime.
 
Kim summarized the key lesson from his company’s deployments: “The key lesson is that cloud-native, mobile-first, visitor-ready design with edge resilience makes multi-tenant and mixed-use operations simpler, more scalable, and more secure.”
 
As mixed-use spaces expand globally, from smart residential complexes to hybrid office hubs, the industry’s future lies in systems that can intelligently discern, respond, and evolve, protecting not just people and property but also privacy and trust.