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    • Designing with digital and emerging technologies
    • Housing futures
    • Building performance: Indoor environmental quality, light and sound
    • Smart urbanism and infrastructure
    • Social design
    • Architecture theory and practice
    • Place and space
    • Histories of architecture and the built environment
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Smart urbanism and infrastructure

Technology, automation, and data-driven places
Our research promotes a multidisciplinary approach to smart urbanism, bringing the perspectives of design thinking and urban and regional planning to the visions and practices of smart cities in Australia and worldwide.

We bring together perspectives of design thinking, urban planning and policy, and data science to understand, explain and interrogate the visions and practices of smart cities. We have particular expertise in property and housing, transport, governance, and digital infrastructure. Our research sites range from regional New South Wales to urban India, and we track the emergence of drone technology and robotics in shaping urban and rural relations.

We aim to conduct path-breaking research into the social and urban impact of smart city initiatives; designing and testing digital interventions to improve urban and regional liveability; innovation and experimentation in urban governance; providing expert advice and critical evaluation of smart city plans and policies; leading the cross-sector (government, industry and academic) discussion on digital placemaking, governance, and infrastructure.

Related projects

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Smart regional spaces: Ready, set, go!

The project partners with three regional NSW councils (Lithgow, Armidale and Parkes) for the development of a spectrum of ‘smart’ digital resources and strategies soon to be available to all regional NSW Councils. These tools will support Councils to assess and design smart places and strategies for local community benefit.
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Socio-spatial implications of smart city development in India

Learning from the smart cities of the South to inform the global smart urbanism discourse in post-pandemic recovery—with significant benefits in strengthening existing, and building new connections between India and Australia in an area of bilateral national significance.
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Infrastructure Governance Incubator

The Infrastructure Governance Incubator investigates the planning and delivery of urban infrastructure in Australian cities, identifying strengths and gaps in current practices as well as developing integrated infrastructure governance approaches for Australian cities.
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Digital technologies and the private rental sector in Australia

Working in partnership with the Tenant Union, this project evaluates the potential for innovation among the new digital technology companies targeting the private rental sector in Australia
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Making the Sustainable Development Goals Feasible at Planetary Scale, One City at a Time

The planet will be home to 9.5 billion people by 2050, according to UN predictions. Approximately 68% of humanity will be living in cities and urban areas. Goal 11 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) – “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable” – requires reliable, accurate data on changes to land use and land cover across the planet, especially its urban areas.

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Research degrees

Explore our postgraduate research opportunities