The Smart Cities and Urban Informatics Project represents the culmination of studies in the Smart Cities and Urban Informatics. Students will work closely with the Director of the Program to develop a proposal. Projects which tap into current ‘live’ projects, building upon existing partnerships internationally through the PLuS Alliance and with industry and government organisations including Department of Planning and Environment, the Greater Sydney Commission, Urban Growth, Sydney Water, and the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation, along with partnerships with local councils including the City of Sydney, Randwick City Council and Parramatta., will be encouraged. This might take the form of a discrete element or task within its ongoing strategic development or implementation, or a more general critical analysis of the Smart City agenda. The major project report can take the form of a research thesis or a practice-oriented report. Each student will be assigned a supervisor, and it is expected that many students will also benefit from engagement with industry partners. The final thesis/report will be 10-12,000 words long. Where partners have been directly involved, students will be encouraged to provide a short debrief to the relevant organisations. The production of the thesis will explore and provide new insights into one or more of the challenges facing cities through the integration of research and/or practical insight.
