What steps is the state government taking to bring Brisbane closer to being a smart city while managing rapid growth? And what differences can city residents expect to see for themselves?
Sonja Pedell, Swinburne University of Technology and Ann Borda, The University of Melbourne
We have the technology to make it easier for older Australians to pursue active ageing in their own communities. The smart city just needs their input to make it work for them.
Smart city solutions have proved handy for curbing the contagion, but recent experience has also shown how much they rely on public trust. And that in turn depends on transparency and robust safeguards
Amazon says it’s the “new neighbourhood watch” but Ring may just be another technology that gives police too much data and lets neighbourhoods double down on their biases.
A report based on public consultations conducted by Sidewalk Labs has still not answered many pressing concerns about privacy and consent in Toronto’s Quayside development.
Technology and data are being harnessed to increase productivity in cities, but there also need to be ‘slow moments’, when people can pause to enjoy their surroundings.
How smart are our cities now? In Queensland, a study of all 78 local government areas reveals major gaps between the ten leading the way in becoming smart cities and the rest of the state.
As cities become ‘smarter’, they need more and more objects fitted with technology. We need to think about designing these objects to accommodate computers, which often break down and create e-waste.
To be a smart city is to know what your people want and need. And smart city leaders make sure residents can tell them by using technology to maintain a constant two-way flow of information.