Last Thursday Urbis kick-started the PIA 2017 Emerge series, which establishes a platform for emerging planners to network with and learn from industry experts.
The challenge was set to ‘Decode the Smart City’. Industry experts, Nicki Hutley and Dr Sophia Maalsen provided expert opinion.
Nicki Hutley, Urbis’ Chief Economist and Director, drew upon her experience of providing macroeconomic and social investment policy advice to public and private sector clients across Australia. In discussing the multi-faceted nature of smart cities, it became apparent our cities and communities have been embracing the innovative infrastructure of a smart city for decades.
Smart infrastructure can be as simple as pedestrian light count-downs improving road safety, to driverless cars reducing car ownership or robotic hotel concierge staff revolutionising customer experiences. However, cities and communities continue to embrace the technology and people power that drives the innovation of smart city infrastructure, policy-makers must be conscious of the real challenges, enablers and threats associated with implementing these initiatives.
