Standardising smart cities assessment: Developing a readiness and performance measurement system for medium-sized regional cities in Australia

Principal Supervisor: Distinguished Professor Helen Thompson

Associate Supervisors: Dr. Taiwo Oseni, Dr. Shoaib Riaz

Overview

Smart and sustainable cities are increasingly recognised as strategic responses to the multifaceted challenges of urbanisation and climate change. In 2024, the Smart Cities Advisory Group of Australia highlighted the critical role of regional areas in advancing smart city initiatives. However, local governments require assessment frameworks to evaluate whether their smart city efforts are effectively meeting intended goals and aligning with established objectives. Given the varied contexts, resources, and lifestyles across regional areas, evaluation strategies need to be adaptable and tailored to reflect the distinct priorities and conditions of regional cities.

This research aims to develop customized Smart City readiness and performance measurement frameworks tailored to the needs of medium-sized regional cities in Australia by collecting relevant secondary and primary data and conducting qualitative and quantitative analyses. First, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, this study aims to establish collaborative and tailored standardised indicators that will facilitate meaningful comparisons and strategic alliances among ten medium-sized regional cities. Second, instead of measuring smartness after the implementation of smart projects through only one framework, separate measurement frameworks and tools of readiness and performance will be developed to assess both pre and post development conditions.