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How do we make our cities smarter, sustainable and efficient?

International urbanists and digital experts will gather at the first Australia-India Smart Cities workshop this week to discuss how our major cities can harness technology and big data to function more efficiently.

Published on the 03 Apr 2017 by Fran Strachan

Media contact

Fran Strachan
Communications Manager Low Carbon Living CRC
+61 2 9385 5402
fran.strachan@unsw.edu.au

With the world’s population set to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, it’s imperative that major cities harness technology and big data to function sustainably and efficiently in the future.

UNSW’s Smart Cities Research Cluster (SCRC), sponsored by the Australian Government and the Australia-India Council, will run a series of workshops in Sydney, Chennai and New Delhi to discuss how Australian cities can engage with digital technology and big data markets in emerging countries such as India, who are leading the smart cities agenda.

The first workshop in the series, the Smart Cities and Informed Urbanisation Workshop on 6–7 April at UNSW’s Sydney CBD Campus, brings together international digital strategists, urban planners, government and business leaders, academics and start-ups.

Workshops will also be presented in Chennai and New Delhi on 24 and 27 April.

While the Government of India has committed to building 100 Smart Cities totalling an investment of $480 billion over five years, SCRC convenor Dr Scott Hawken says Australia, as a highly urbanised and wealthy country, faces a different set of challenges.

With the world’s population set to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, it’s imperative that major cities harness technology and big data to function sustainably and efficiently in the future.

“Current political and business interests are still heavily invested in outdated technologies from the 20th century,” says Dr Hawken.

“Australia, like India, needs to commit to flagship projects and the promotion of new smart innovations to both inspire and transform our cities and urban space.”

He says the Australian Government’s $50 million Smart Cities and Suburbs Program signifies a positive change in direction.

The Smart Cities and Informed Urbanisation Workshop will include sessions on the following topics: shaping smart and innovative urban districts; smart transport systems and infrastructure modelling; and informed urbanism – data-driven governance.

“The future shaping conversations at this important workshop series will present opportunities for influencing global debates and will forge national and global partnerships in this important sector.”

Speakers include:

  • Lucinda Hartley – CoFounder at CoDesign Studio and Neighbourlytics
  • David Holden – Associate Director, Kinesis
  • Debolina Kundu – Chair, Housing and Urban Development Corporation, National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), Government of India
  • Professor Chris Pettit – Professor of Urban Science and Associate Director, UNSW City Futures Research Centre
  • Bill Randolph – Director, UNSW City Futures Research Centre
  • Zaffar Sadiq Mohamed-Ghouse – Director, NSW Business Development, Research & International Relations, NSW Spatial Services, Department of Finance, Services & Innovation
  • Sunita Sanghi – Advisor (Urbanisation), NITI Aayog, Government of India
  • Meredith Sussex AM – Chair, Ministerial Advisory Council, Fishermans Bend Urban Renewal Area, Melbourne
  • S Travis Waller – Professor and Director of the Research Centre for Integrated Transport Innovation, UNSW

View the full program here

What: Smart Cities and Informed Urbanisation Workshop

When:  6–7 April, 9am–5pm

Where: UNSW CBD Campus, 6/1-15 O’Connell St, Sydney