News

Lendlease is investing in living laboratories where employees can test, tweak, learn and refine how technology and data can best accelerate sustainable outcomes while creating the best places for people. In this article we track the evolution of this global company from green building czar, to setting a benchmark as a smart communities innovator.

If you have a startup focused on improving communities, apply to pitch your solution at Smart Cities Week Australia, 29-31 October in Sydney. Over two sessions on October 30 and 31, selected startups will pitch to an audience of city shapers, councils and providers of urban services.

Local governments don't generally have a lot of experience with big data, and that can lead to failure for city data initiatives. But it doesn't have to be that way. There are ways around the challenges and impediments. Read on to learn some of them.

The value of data is unmistakable for smart cities, and as we continue to learn more about using and optimising it the more valuable it will become. In our story, we share insights and recommendations on the ways we use data today and its potential for the future.

A proposed refresh of the Opposition’s National Urban Policy to acknowledge the role of technology and data could make the difference between Australia building good cities or great cities, says the peak body representing the smart cities movement in Australia.

The ASEAN Smart Cities Network (ASCN) has been established as a collaborative platform where up to three cities from each ASEAN member state, including capitals, work towards the common goal of smart and sustainable urban development. The Action Plans for each of the 25 participating cities have been released, highlighted the priorities and support each city is seeking.

How can a smart city make our lives better? That's one of the key questions a roundtable of experts addressed as they explored the challenges and opportunities ahead for smart cities initiatives.

Smart Cities Week Australia will be more than a conference: it will be an experience. Click to learn about the program, and to take advantage of Super Early Bird registration.

Digital may be an afterthought in some cities, but a handful of forward-thinking cities are reinventing the way they provide services to their citizens. They are going digital. And in doing so, they are saving money and reducing costs, boosting citizen engagement and satisfaction, enhancing employee productivity and carving out a new competitive space in the global knowledge economy.

This year, Tesla’s Elon Musk declared bankruptcy, actor Seth Rogen signed his life over to Netflix and Where's Wally found his way into Google Maps. Tech companies understand the power of April Fools' Day to engage their audiences. But can an April Fools’ Day joke on Facebook get the community excited about a local council’s business plan?

Does your Grandma know what a Smart City is? If not, then we are doing it wrong! We are building Smart Cities for the people after all, so shouldn’t they be familiar with the concept? Shouldn’t Smart Citizens know they are a part of a Smart eco-system?

Data is essential for smart city operations, but how it's stored is often neglected. In our story we take a look at what a resilient, energy-efficient data centre should look like and the benefits it can provide for smart cities.

Accenture is the latest organisation to join the world’s largest network of ‘smart cities’ companies supporting the liveability, workability and sustainability of cities in a rapidly digitised world.

Australia's first dedicated smart cities awards program continues to build momentum with the announcement of the Awards Jury and the award categories today. Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand (SCCANZ) announced in 2017 its intention to facilitate the awards program, with the reception now confirmed to be hosted during Smart Cities Week in Sydney on Tuesday 30th October 2018.

The Council is taking a different approach with our inaugural Smart Cities Week Australia conference. Read on for a quick rundown on what you can expect.

In the fast-paced and rapidly-evolving smart cities space, everyone must have an eye on the horizon. In a sector where ‘What’s next?’ is the question, Smart Cities Week Australia is the answer. Do you want to associate your brand with the region's premium smart cities event? — Then you can’t afford to miss the opportunity to sponsor Smart Cities Week Australia.

In this article, written for the March Edition of New Planner, Adam Beck provides an overview of the fundamental smart cities elements in the context of opportunities for the urban planning profession.

March is just beginning and it's already looking like a very busy year for the Smart Cities Council. Read on to catch up with what the Council, our partners and collaborators have accomplished over the past month.

Moves to see Australia create more smart cities and communities will be accelerated with the announcement that the Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand (SCCANZ) and the Australian Smart Communities Association (ASCA) have signed a far-reaching cooperation agreement.

SCCANZ mobilises its policy activities for 2018, starting with the release of its Digital Built Australia policy primer outlining a suite of policy recommendations for building greater productivity within the construction sector and accelerating the reduction of built environment related greenhouse gas emissions through the greater adoption of technology and data solutions.

It's only a month into the new year and the momentum is already building quickly. Read on to learn about events, new endeavours and other activities that promise to make 2018 a very productive year for smart cities.

To kick off the Smart Cities Pulse series for 2018, we sat down with emerging smart cities leader Katherine Tobias of Partner KPMG's Internet of Things practice, to hear her views on smart cities now, new and next. Among other topics covered, we spoke about standards, collaboration, governance and the importance of engaging young future leaders.

2018 will be a defining year for smart cities standards in Australia, and globally, with much activity underway. Here are some key resources to help you keep up.

Aurecon brings digital to build resilience in award winning project, Delos Delata is preparing cities for smart cities investment and Arrow teams up to monetise the Internet of Things

The peak body for smart cities in Australia and New Zealand has announced the establishment of a network for young emerging innovators, an initiative seeking to drive emerging leadership within the smart cities movement in Australia and New Zealand.

This article takes a look at a series of events run in New Zealand the week of 20th November 2017, hosted by the Telecommunications Users Association of New Zealand. This article is reproduced with the permission of its author, Craig Young, the CEO of TUANZ.

SCCANZ spoke recently to Catherine Caruana-McManus, someone who has been close to the smart cities movement both globally, but also here locally in Australia for many years. As Director of Sales Strategy for IoT integrator Meshed and the Workstream Chair for Smart Cities and Industries for the Internet of Things Alliance Australia, she remains active in the advancement of the digital economy and the sustainability of our cities.

SCCANZ facilitated a workshop with global tech company SAP for SMEs and start-ups with Austrade and QUT. The goal was to explore opportunities for helping Australian businesses with niche technology offerings for smart cities to scale up and go global. Read on for more on the session's outcomes.

Wouldn't it be great if you could measure how happy your citizens are — and use that information to help guide investments in making your city more liveable? Click to learn about how it's being done with data analytics and a people-centric approach.

How can the Internet of Things intersect with climate science and help cities work effectively in climate adaptation? A recent meeting of the minds in Sydney yielded many interesting insights and opportunities you will want to know about.

It’s been a year since Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand launched. Read on to hear about what we have done, and where we are going.

A hackathon doesn't need to be a fringe, underground cult thing. It can be a tool for city transformation, market acceleration and a tool to build the skills our government and industry desperately need to solve urban problems.

Knowing what your citizens really think is essential for the development of sustainable, liveable smart cities. And knowing how they really feel is even better. Several experts are suggesting that applying social analytics to social media will get us closer to that goal than the approaches we're using now.

There's a rich global array of smart cities standards available for the asking. But we need an in-depth understanding of those standards before we can gain the most from them. Read our story to learn about a just-released Guidance Note designed to help raise awareness of the importance of standards and their benefits.

The city of Adelaide has very high hopes for its gigabit city network. Not only do city officials anticipate the city will operate faster and with more agility as it provides enhanced products and services — they expect businesses new and old will benefit greatly as well.

Leaders in Australia's property sector know big data is important to their industry. But they will need to change their thinking by fully incorporating analytics into their planning and operations if they expect to wring the most value out of that data.

While the U.S. plans to walk away from the Paris climate agreement, the global commitment to reducing carbon emissions remains – from cities, states, nations and businesses. Read on for examples of that continuing commitment from our Council Partners.

At SCCANZ, and we are passionate about sharing experiences, building capacity, and encouraging peer-to-peer networking. Here are four smart cities events to mark in your calendar for the coming months.

One way to understand the smart cities agenda is to look at barriers that need to be overcome and the solutions we can use. Read on to learn how a circular economy could help us meet our challenges and achieve our goals.

If you really want to know what's going on throughout your city, advanced analytics can tell you – in detail. And even better, it can give you an idea of what could happen next. Smart cities need that kind of intelligence.

With a world-leading green building industry firmly grounded in Australia, I approached green building stalwart Quentin Jackson from Aurecon to share his smart buildings views.

Could your smart city initiative use a second look from an independent panel of experts? Learn how the Smart Cities In-Review process can help you be sure you are on the right track.

The Week in Smart Cities provides a snapshot of what happened in the world of the Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand. From conference presentations to advocacy meetings, events to resource development.

When you want people-first smart cities, there is a secret sauce. Get a look at some of the key ingredients through the work at Kashiwa-no-ha Smart City, Japan.

Whilst the industry had made some important gains in digital disruption and technological adoption, it may still have some way to go to become truly transformative. Learn why.

As our urban leaders begin to advance policy and programs that align with the New Urban Agenda created at the UN Habitat III convening in Quito, Ecuador, we offer the case for data-driven decision making as a means for greater sustainability outcomes/