As Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says, “liveable, vibrant cities are absolutely critical to our prosperity.” But how do 21st century cities become liveable, vibrant and productive? How can our urban centres live up to their full potential as economic assets and leverage the vast wealth of human capitalwithin them? These questions and concepts are not new to Americans; over the past six years, the Obama administration has pursued a place-based approach to working with communities as they tackle a wide range of challenges, from investing in infrastructure and working with open data, to strengthening community services through technology and running local government more efficiently. New advances in technology have the potential to accelerate these efforts and create the liveable, vibrant, and prosperous cities that are so crucial to national economies, and the people who call these Smart Cities home, and Australia has much to learn from our trans-Pacific partners. 

Join the Future Cities Collaborative for a public event to discuss Smart Cities, and hear lessons from two global leaders in this field. We are very pleased to have John Tolva, former chief technology officer from the City of Chicago, and Frans-Anton Vermast, senior strategy advisor from Amsterdam, in Sydney to share their experiences and lessons in creating and sustaining Smart Cities. 

Cities are back on the national agenda, and with the Obama administration committing $160 million to a new Smart Cities Initiative, there has never been a better time to think about how to make our cities smarter. Please join us to hear the tale of two smart cities, and how bringing people, data, and technology together can make cities smart. 

Tickets for this event are $25 or $15 for students.

RSVP Essential to: harriet.whyte@sydney.edu.au | 

+61 2 8627 4024

Exhibiting Artists from CODE 1231 at UNSW Built Environment | Narissa Bungbrakearti | Dominic Hawton |Emily Leung | Nariddh Khean | Edward Martin | Harris Paneras | Peter Pittas | Sophie Scott | Ali Siddiqui

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Speakers | John Tolva, former Chief Technology Officer from the City of Chicago | Frans-Anton Vermast, Senior Strategy Advisor from Amsterdam

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Partners | Future Cities Collaborative | United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney | Design Lab, University of Sydney | Faculty of Built Environment, UNSW | New Media Curation