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Scott Hawken

The University of Adelaide, School of Architecture and Built Environment, Faculty Member

The University of New South Wales, Faculty of Built Environment, Faculty Member

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Dr Hawken is an Urban Designer, Landscape Architect and Landscape Archaeologist. Dr Scott Hawken combines interests in both past and present cities in his work with research and development projects that spans landscape archaeology, southeast asian urbanism, urban ecology and the intersection of smart cities and urban development and design. He has spent extended periods in the field throughout Asia and brings this international experience to bear on his research and consultancy work in Sydney.

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The University of Sydney

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Papers by Scott Hawken

The arable city: Quantifying the potential for urban agriculture in the 21st century metropolis

Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, with some 90% of the population li... more Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, with some 90% of the population living in cities. Only 6.1% of Australia’s land mass is considered of arable quality, compared to 17% in the USA. Moreover, the amount of peri-urban land available for food cultivation is diminishing as urban sprawl expands to accommodate a growing population. The advent of ‘industrial’ agriculture in the 19th and 20th centuries marginalised urban agriculture but the past 20 years have seen a resurgence in public and policy interest and activity in numerous cities and countries. The research and data which should underpin such renewed and increased interest and activity, however, remain ad hoc and largely anecdotal. A more informed approach is now both urgent and essential. The growth of cities generates benefits – notably by creating centres of economic development and innovation – but also detriments, by way of sedentary lifestyles and obesity, stress and mental ill-health, crime and los...

Breaking down the silos through geodesign – Envisioning Sydney’s urban future

Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science

City of Kampung: risk and resilience in the urban communities of Surabaya, Indonesia

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to bring a new perspective on the meaning of resilience in I... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to bring a new perspective on the meaning of resilience in Indonesia’s main urban settlement type, known as kampung. The paper reviews kampung in major urban centres in Indonesia, but focuses on a case study of Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city. Despite effectively accommodating the majority of Surabaya’s population, kampung inhabitants are stigmatised and kampung are viewed as slum-like habitats. Such a pejorative view neglects to consider the importance of kampung and ignores their inherent and potential resilience. It is important to study both the risks and resilience of kampung so that they can be developed to address social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities in Southeast Asian cities. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the risks and resilience of kampung. Key themes were mapped from the literature and used to construct a framework for understanding and enhancing resilienc...

Towards the right model of smart city governance in India

International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning

There is broad agreement among the scientific community that local government's play a vital role... more There is broad agreement among the scientific community that local government's play a vital role in fostering smart cities which focusses on improving quality of life by integrating technology with the built environment. But, urban governance in rapidly urbanising countries of global south is often poorly organised to deal with complex urban challenges, severely hindering their aspirations to become smart cities. Although smart city dossiers are abundant in literature, their governance framework and structural variations in such development across regions is lacking. Furthermore, efforts to import governance models from developed world cities are facing lack of unique context sensitivities, which stand against their transformation as smart cities. This paper contributes to the debate on urban governance of smart cities by providing their distinct theoretical conceptualisations and linking them with case studies. It analyses the urban governance dynamics in Indian cities which has started implementing a massive 100 smart cities development programme. From the past experiences of Indian cities in reforming urban administration to its new model of special purpose vehicle led project execution; this research critically assesses the ability of Indian cities to transform their traditional bureaucratic governments into a more accountable collaborative governance. The outcomes from this study highlight the need for aspiring smart cities in emerging economies to address deep-seated structural issues of municipal government's and engage in the process of governance transformation rather than adopting temporary solutions.

Implementing citizen centric technology in developing smart cities: A model for predicting the acceptance of urban technologies

Technological Forecasting and Social Change

Introduction: Innovation and identity in next-generation smart cities

City, Culture and Society

Urban innovation through policy integration: Critical perspectives from 100 smart cities mission in India

City, Culture and Society

Smart cities commentary often highlights the technological and entrepreneurial aspects of the cit... more Smart cities commentary often highlights the technological and entrepreneurial aspects of the city. But, the dimensions of local policy and politics is surprisingly little debated. Mega cities in the rapidly urbanising economies develop a plethora of urban policies and plans cultivated by various state and local agencies. These are often overlapping or conflicting and as a result do not produce desired outcomes. Prospective smart cities tend to add a new layer of plan and devise extra institutional instrument in to this already complex environment. We challenge this idea of smart cities being another stand-alone initiative and explore how integration of plans and unification of smart city visions with the overarching city development goals can better support effective urban transformation and local innovation. This research addresses the complex planning and governance mechanisms in the world&#39;s fastest growing economy – India - which has initiated an ambitious mission to transform 100 urban areas across the country into “smart cities”. The federal program involves the provision of centrally devised guidelines for smart city development. These combined with local level policy and institutional initiatives in designated smart cities in India shape a multiplicity of policies and programs. A two-level case study is presented in this paper as a critical polemic on this policy landscape. Investigation along these lines provide opportunities for identification of underlying patterns and challenges of smart city developments in India. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations for building sound smart city policy frameworks in emerging economies.

Innovative Civic Engagement and Digital Urban Infrastructure: Lessons from 100 Smart Cities Mission in India

Procedia Engineering

In 2015 the Government of India announced an ambitious mission to develop 100 smart cities throug... more In 2015 the Government of India announced an ambitious mission to develop 100 smart cities throughout the rapidly urbanising country. As part of this mission, the Government has initiated ICT based citizen engagement through a dedicated website-MyGov.in. The disparity in digital infrastructure between different socioeconomic demographics is a challenge for cities in emerging economies wishing to implement smart city policies. Our research explores the relationship between active civic engagement and the availability of basic digital infrastructure and socioeconomic standards in Indian cities. This study provides insights on factors that lead to the success or failure of cities&#39; online citizen engagement platforms. Such insights offer important lessons for building future smart and connected cities as well as promoting healthy urban relationships and welfare, in the emerging economies of the world.

Innovation districts and urban heterogeneity: 3D mapping of industry mix in downtown Sydney

Journal of Urban Design, 2017

Adaptive reuse of industrial heritage for cultural purposes in Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing

Structural Survey, 2016

Purpose With the dramatic transformation of China’s industrial landscape, since the late 1990s, a... more Purpose With the dramatic transformation of China’s industrial landscape, since the late 1990s, adaptive reuse of industrial heritage for cultural purposes has become a widely occurring phenomenon in major Chinese cities. The existing literature mainly focusses on specific cases, yet sees heritage conservation similarly at both national and regional scale and rarely identifies the main factors behind the production of China’s industrial-heritage reuse. The purpose of this paper is to examine the differences in heritage reuse outcomes among three Chinese mega-cities and explore the driving factors influencing the differences. Design/methodology/approach This paper compares selected industrial-heritage cultural precincts in Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, and explores the local intervening factors influencing differences in their reuse patterns, including the history of industrial development, the availability of the nineteenth and/or twentieth century industrial buildings, the exist...

Flooded Valleys and Exploded Escarpments: Material Cycling and Sydney Harbor’s new Landscapes

Remote Sensing of Urban Ecological Infrastructure in Desakota Environments: A Review of Current Approaches

The semi-aquatic, aquatic and green spaces of emerging Southeast Asian mega-cities act as ecologi... more The semi-aquatic, aquatic and green spaces of emerging Southeast Asian mega-cities act as ecological infrastructure, providing diverse ecosystem services to rapidly, growing, urban populations.. The cultural and natural biodiversity integrated within urban ecological infrastructure is a key to metropolitan sustainability. However, rapid urban development has left stream systems, urban agriculture, wetlands and urban forests as fragmented spaces vulnerable to future development.

Towards the right model of smart city governance in India

International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning

There is broad agreement among the scientific community that local government's play a vital role... more There is broad agreement among the scientific community that local government's play a vital role in fostering smart cities which focusses on improving quality of life by integrating technology with the built environment. But, urban governance in rapidly urbanising countries of global south is often poorly organised to deal with complex urban challenges, severely hindering their aspirations to become smart cities. Although smart city dossiers are abundant in literature, their governance framework and structural variations in such development across regions is lacking. Furthermore, efforts to import governance models from developed world cities are facing lack of unique context sensitivities, which stand against their transformation as smart cities. This paper contributes to the debate on urban governance of smart cities by providing their distinct theoretical conceptualisations and linking them with case studies. It analyses the urban governance dynamics in Indian cities which has started implementing a massive 100 smart cities development programme. From the past experiences of Indian cities in reforming urban administration to its new model of special purpose vehicle led project execution; this research critically assesses the ability of Indian cities to transform their traditional bureaucratic governments into a more accountable collaborative governance. The outcomes from this study highlight the need for aspiring smart cities in emerging economies to address deep-seated structural issues of municipal government's and engage in the process of governance transformation rather than adopting temporary solutions.

Parkland visions: Designing the Western Sydney Aerotropolis

Landscape Architecture Australia, 2021

It is clear from the many contradictions at the heart of the Aerotropolis-Parkland-City concept t... more It is clear from the many contradictions at the heart of the Aerotropolis-Parkland-City concept that it is not an ideal city-making vision. A landscape-led approach may help to temper its more negative aspects. Regardless, a much more radical reckoning with the city’s future climatic conditions is needed, if the future city is to be liveable.

A Knowledge Exchange Network for Australian and Indian Smart Cities, Whitepaper

by Sarbeswar Praharaj and Scott Hawken

The Indian economy is undergoing rapid growth and will be the third largest in the world by 2030.... more The Indian economy is undergoing rapid growth and will be the third largest in the world by 2030. At the same time, there is a massive country-wide urbanisation. To maximise the opportunities presented by these trends the Government of India has committed to building 100 Smart Cities totalling an investment of $15 billion over a period of five years. The Smart Cities Mission aims to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life for people in India by supporting the leadership of 100 selected “lighthouse” cities. The approach aims to enable local development by harnessing technology to create smart solutions for citizens.

At the same time Australia, facing sustainability and liveability challenges of its own, is moving to develop smart city capacity. The Australian Government’s $50 million Smart Cities and Suburbs Program, that aims to provide seed funding for projects that apply innovative smart technology solutions to urban problems is an indication of growing interest in the smart cities phenomenon. The program has developed quickly with the government receiving over 170 applications in 2017 for smart cities partnerships between business, local government and university sectors.

This shared belief in the potential of technology to enable social, economic and environmental change presents a window of opportunity to take inspirations from each other and design a shared path towards future urban prosperity.

This white paper is produced as an outcome of a unique collaboration between Indian and Australian smart city business, government and university leaders from the “Smart Cities and Informed Urbanisation Workshop” held in Sydney, Chennai and New Delhi. It provides insights and perspectives on the crafting of networks and strengthening of vital partnerships between cities in Australia and India. The paper identifies key target areas and opportunities emerging from the smart cities development in India and matches them with Australian expertise for technology exchange and businesses.

This whitepaper advocate for the establishment of a multi-partner network between Australia and India for sharing of urban best practices and exchange of ideas. It is structured in four parts. The first part introduces the Smart Cities Research cluster as organiser of the Australia-India workshops and sets out the objectives of the whitepaper. The second part examines the smart city policy context in Australia and India. The third part presents industry and government insights from the unique workshops held by the UNSW Smart City Research Cluster in 2017. The concluding section identifies the necessary steps in establishing a knowledge exchange network.

Urban innovation through policy integration: Critical perspectives from 100 smart cities mission in India

by Sarbeswar Praharaj and Scott Hawken

City, Culture and Society, 2018

Smart cities commentary often highlights the technological and entrepreneurial aspects of the cit... more Smart cities commentary often highlights the technological and entrepreneurial aspects of the city. But, the dimensions of local policy and politics is surprisingly little debated. Mega cities in the rapidly urbanising economies develop a plethora of urban policies and plans cultivated by various state and local agencies. These are often overlapping or conflicting and as a result do not produce desired outcomes. Prospective smart cities tend to add a new layer of plan and devise extra institutional instrument in to this already complex environment. We challenge this idea of smart cities being another stand-alone initiative and explore how integration of plans and unification of smart city visions with the overarching city development goals can better support effective urban transformation and local innovation. This research addresses the complex planning and governance mechanisms in the world's fastest growing economy – India - which has initiated an ambitious mission to transform 100 urban areas across the country into “smart cities”. The federal program involves the provision of centrally devised guidelines for smart city development. These combined with local level policy and institutional initiatives in designated smart cities in India shape a multiplicity of policies and programs. A two-level case study is presented in this paper as a critical polemic on this policy landscape. Investigation along these lines provide opportunities for identification of underlying patterns and challenges of smart city developments in India. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations for building sound smart city policy frameworks in emerging economies.

Paddington Reservoir - A new public space for Sydney

Topos European Landscape Magazine, 2011

Smart CCTV and the Management of Urban Space

Handbook of Research on Digital Media and Creative Technologies, 2015

Flooded Valleys and Exploded Escarpments: Material Cycling and Sydney Harbor’s new Landscapes

Topos: the International Review of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, 2008

REMOTE SENSING OF URBAN ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN DESAKOTA ENVIRONMENTS: A REVIEW OF CURRENT APPROACHES

The semi-aquatic, aquatic and green spaces of emerging Southeast Asian mega-cities act as ecologi... more The semi-aquatic, aquatic and green spaces of emerging Southeast Asian mega-cities act as ecological infrastructure, providing diverse ecosystem services to rapidly, growing, urban populations.. The cultural and natural biodiversity integrated within urban ecological infrastructure is a key to metropolitan sustainability. However, rapid urban development has left stream systems, urban agriculture, wetlands and urban forests as fragmented spaces vulnerable to future development.

The arable city: Quantifying the potential for urban agriculture in the 21st century metropolis

Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, with some 90% of the population li... more Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, with some 90% of the population living in cities. Only 6.1% of Australia’s land mass is considered of arable quality, compared to 17% in the USA. Moreover, the amount of peri-urban land available for food cultivation is diminishing as urban sprawl expands to accommodate a growing population. The advent of ‘industrial’ agriculture in the 19th and 20th centuries marginalised urban agriculture but the past 20 years have seen a resurgence in public and policy interest and activity in numerous cities and countries. The research and data which should underpin such renewed and increased interest and activity, however, remain ad hoc and largely anecdotal. A more informed approach is now both urgent and essential. The growth of cities generates benefits – notably by creating centres of economic development and innovation – but also detriments, by way of sedentary lifestyles and obesity, stress and mental ill-health, crime and los...

Breaking down the silos through geodesign – Envisioning Sydney’s urban future

Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science

City of Kampung: risk and resilience in the urban communities of Surabaya, Indonesia

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to bring a new perspective on the meaning of resilience in I... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to bring a new perspective on the meaning of resilience in Indonesia’s main urban settlement type, known as kampung. The paper reviews kampung in major urban centres in Indonesia, but focuses on a case study of Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city. Despite effectively accommodating the majority of Surabaya’s population, kampung inhabitants are stigmatised and kampung are viewed as slum-like habitats. Such a pejorative view neglects to consider the importance of kampung and ignores their inherent and potential resilience. It is important to study both the risks and resilience of kampung so that they can be developed to address social, economic and environmental vulnerabilities in Southeast Asian cities. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the risks and resilience of kampung. Key themes were mapped from the literature and used to construct a framework for understanding and enhancing resilienc...

Towards the right model of smart city governance in India

International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning

There is broad agreement among the scientific community that local government's play a vital role... more There is broad agreement among the scientific community that local government's play a vital role in fostering smart cities which focusses on improving quality of life by integrating technology with the built environment. But, urban governance in rapidly urbanising countries of global south is often poorly organised to deal with complex urban challenges, severely hindering their aspirations to become smart cities. Although smart city dossiers are abundant in literature, their governance framework and structural variations in such development across regions is lacking. Furthermore, efforts to import governance models from developed world cities are facing lack of unique context sensitivities, which stand against their transformation as smart cities. This paper contributes to the debate on urban governance of smart cities by providing their distinct theoretical conceptualisations and linking them with case studies. It analyses the urban governance dynamics in Indian cities which has started implementing a massive 100 smart cities development programme. From the past experiences of Indian cities in reforming urban administration to its new model of special purpose vehicle led project execution; this research critically assesses the ability of Indian cities to transform their traditional bureaucratic governments into a more accountable collaborative governance. The outcomes from this study highlight the need for aspiring smart cities in emerging economies to address deep-seated structural issues of municipal government's and engage in the process of governance transformation rather than adopting temporary solutions.

Implementing citizen centric technology in developing smart cities: A model for predicting the acceptance of urban technologies

Technological Forecasting and Social Change

Introduction: Innovation and identity in next-generation smart cities

City, Culture and Society

Urban innovation through policy integration: Critical perspectives from 100 smart cities mission in India

City, Culture and Society

Smart cities commentary often highlights the technological and entrepreneurial aspects of the cit... more Smart cities commentary often highlights the technological and entrepreneurial aspects of the city. But, the dimensions of local policy and politics is surprisingly little debated. Mega cities in the rapidly urbanising economies develop a plethora of urban policies and plans cultivated by various state and local agencies. These are often overlapping or conflicting and as a result do not produce desired outcomes. Prospective smart cities tend to add a new layer of plan and devise extra institutional instrument in to this already complex environment. We challenge this idea of smart cities being another stand-alone initiative and explore how integration of plans and unification of smart city visions with the overarching city development goals can better support effective urban transformation and local innovation. This research addresses the complex planning and governance mechanisms in the world&#39;s fastest growing economy – India - which has initiated an ambitious mission to transform 100 urban areas across the country into “smart cities”. The federal program involves the provision of centrally devised guidelines for smart city development. These combined with local level policy and institutional initiatives in designated smart cities in India shape a multiplicity of policies and programs. A two-level case study is presented in this paper as a critical polemic on this policy landscape. Investigation along these lines provide opportunities for identification of underlying patterns and challenges of smart city developments in India. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations for building sound smart city policy frameworks in emerging economies.

Innovative Civic Engagement and Digital Urban Infrastructure: Lessons from 100 Smart Cities Mission in India

Procedia Engineering

In 2015 the Government of India announced an ambitious mission to develop 100 smart cities throug... more In 2015 the Government of India announced an ambitious mission to develop 100 smart cities throughout the rapidly urbanising country. As part of this mission, the Government has initiated ICT based citizen engagement through a dedicated website-MyGov.in. The disparity in digital infrastructure between different socioeconomic demographics is a challenge for cities in emerging economies wishing to implement smart city policies. Our research explores the relationship between active civic engagement and the availability of basic digital infrastructure and socioeconomic standards in Indian cities. This study provides insights on factors that lead to the success or failure of cities&#39; online citizen engagement platforms. Such insights offer important lessons for building future smart and connected cities as well as promoting healthy urban relationships and welfare, in the emerging economies of the world.

Innovation districts and urban heterogeneity: 3D mapping of industry mix in downtown Sydney

Journal of Urban Design, 2017

Adaptive reuse of industrial heritage for cultural purposes in Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing

Structural Survey, 2016

Purpose With the dramatic transformation of China’s industrial landscape, since the late 1990s, a... more Purpose With the dramatic transformation of China’s industrial landscape, since the late 1990s, adaptive reuse of industrial heritage for cultural purposes has become a widely occurring phenomenon in major Chinese cities. The existing literature mainly focusses on specific cases, yet sees heritage conservation similarly at both national and regional scale and rarely identifies the main factors behind the production of China’s industrial-heritage reuse. The purpose of this paper is to examine the differences in heritage reuse outcomes among three Chinese mega-cities and explore the driving factors influencing the differences. Design/methodology/approach This paper compares selected industrial-heritage cultural precincts in Beijing, Shanghai and Chongqing, and explores the local intervening factors influencing differences in their reuse patterns, including the history of industrial development, the availability of the nineteenth and/or twentieth century industrial buildings, the exist...

Flooded Valleys and Exploded Escarpments: Material Cycling and Sydney Harbor’s new Landscapes

Remote Sensing of Urban Ecological Infrastructure in Desakota Environments: A Review of Current Approaches

The semi-aquatic, aquatic and green spaces of emerging Southeast Asian mega-cities act as ecologi... more The semi-aquatic, aquatic and green spaces of emerging Southeast Asian mega-cities act as ecological infrastructure, providing diverse ecosystem services to rapidly, growing, urban populations.. The cultural and natural biodiversity integrated within urban ecological infrastructure is a key to metropolitan sustainability. However, rapid urban development has left stream systems, urban agriculture, wetlands and urban forests as fragmented spaces vulnerable to future development.

Towards the right model of smart city governance in India

International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning

There is broad agreement among the scientific community that local government's play a vital role... more There is broad agreement among the scientific community that local government's play a vital role in fostering smart cities which focusses on improving quality of life by integrating technology with the built environment. But, urban governance in rapidly urbanising countries of global south is often poorly organised to deal with complex urban challenges, severely hindering their aspirations to become smart cities. Although smart city dossiers are abundant in literature, their governance framework and structural variations in such development across regions is lacking. Furthermore, efforts to import governance models from developed world cities are facing lack of unique context sensitivities, which stand against their transformation as smart cities. This paper contributes to the debate on urban governance of smart cities by providing their distinct theoretical conceptualisations and linking them with case studies. It analyses the urban governance dynamics in Indian cities which has started implementing a massive 100 smart cities development programme. From the past experiences of Indian cities in reforming urban administration to its new model of special purpose vehicle led project execution; this research critically assesses the ability of Indian cities to transform their traditional bureaucratic governments into a more accountable collaborative governance. The outcomes from this study highlight the need for aspiring smart cities in emerging economies to address deep-seated structural issues of municipal government's and engage in the process of governance transformation rather than adopting temporary solutions.

Parkland visions: Designing the Western Sydney Aerotropolis

Landscape Architecture Australia, 2021

It is clear from the many contradictions at the heart of the Aerotropolis-Parkland-City concept t... more It is clear from the many contradictions at the heart of the Aerotropolis-Parkland-City concept that it is not an ideal city-making vision. A landscape-led approach may help to temper its more negative aspects. Regardless, a much more radical reckoning with the city’s future climatic conditions is needed, if the future city is to be liveable.

A Knowledge Exchange Network for Australian and Indian Smart Cities, Whitepaper

by Sarbeswar Praharaj and Scott Hawken

The Indian economy is undergoing rapid growth and will be the third largest in the world by 2030.... more The Indian economy is undergoing rapid growth and will be the third largest in the world by 2030. At the same time, there is a massive country-wide urbanisation. To maximise the opportunities presented by these trends the Government of India has committed to building 100 Smart Cities totalling an investment of $15 billion over a period of five years. The Smart Cities Mission aims to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life for people in India by supporting the leadership of 100 selected “lighthouse” cities. The approach aims to enable local development by harnessing technology to create smart solutions for citizens.

At the same time Australia, facing sustainability and liveability challenges of its own, is moving to develop smart city capacity. The Australian Government’s $50 million Smart Cities and Suburbs Program, that aims to provide seed funding for projects that apply innovative smart technology solutions to urban problems is an indication of growing interest in the smart cities phenomenon. The program has developed quickly with the government receiving over 170 applications in 2017 for smart cities partnerships between business, local government and university sectors.

This shared belief in the potential of technology to enable social, economic and environmental change presents a window of opportunity to take inspirations from each other and design a shared path towards future urban prosperity.

This white paper is produced as an outcome of a unique collaboration between Indian and Australian smart city business, government and university leaders from the “Smart Cities and Informed Urbanisation Workshop” held in Sydney, Chennai and New Delhi. It provides insights and perspectives on the crafting of networks and strengthening of vital partnerships between cities in Australia and India. The paper identifies key target areas and opportunities emerging from the smart cities development in India and matches them with Australian expertise for technology exchange and businesses.

This whitepaper advocate for the establishment of a multi-partner network between Australia and India for sharing of urban best practices and exchange of ideas. It is structured in four parts. The first part introduces the Smart Cities Research cluster as organiser of the Australia-India workshops and sets out the objectives of the whitepaper. The second part examines the smart city policy context in Australia and India. The third part presents industry and government insights from the unique workshops held by the UNSW Smart City Research Cluster in 2017. The concluding section identifies the necessary steps in establishing a knowledge exchange network.

Urban innovation through policy integration: Critical perspectives from 100 smart cities mission in India

by Sarbeswar Praharaj and Scott Hawken

City, Culture and Society, 2018

Smart cities commentary often highlights the technological and entrepreneurial aspects of the cit... more Smart cities commentary often highlights the technological and entrepreneurial aspects of the city. But, the dimensions of local policy and politics is surprisingly little debated. Mega cities in the rapidly urbanising economies develop a plethora of urban policies and plans cultivated by various state and local agencies. These are often overlapping or conflicting and as a result do not produce desired outcomes. Prospective smart cities tend to add a new layer of plan and devise extra institutional instrument in to this already complex environment. We challenge this idea of smart cities being another stand-alone initiative and explore how integration of plans and unification of smart city visions with the overarching city development goals can better support effective urban transformation and local innovation. This research addresses the complex planning and governance mechanisms in the world's fastest growing economy – India - which has initiated an ambitious mission to transform 100 urban areas across the country into “smart cities”. The federal program involves the provision of centrally devised guidelines for smart city development. These combined with local level policy and institutional initiatives in designated smart cities in India shape a multiplicity of policies and programs. A two-level case study is presented in this paper as a critical polemic on this policy landscape. Investigation along these lines provide opportunities for identification of underlying patterns and challenges of smart city developments in India. The paper concludes with a series of recommendations for building sound smart city policy frameworks in emerging economies.

Paddington Reservoir - A new public space for Sydney

Topos European Landscape Magazine, 2011

Smart CCTV and the Management of Urban Space

Handbook of Research on Digital Media and Creative Technologies, 2015

Flooded Valleys and Exploded Escarpments: Material Cycling and Sydney Harbor’s new Landscapes

Topos: the International Review of Landscape Architecture and Urban Design, 2008

REMOTE SENSING OF URBAN ECOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN DESAKOTA ENVIRONMENTS: A REVIEW OF CURRENT APPROACHES

The semi-aquatic, aquatic and green spaces of emerging Southeast Asian mega-cities act as ecologi... more The semi-aquatic, aquatic and green spaces of emerging Southeast Asian mega-cities act as ecological infrastructure, providing diverse ecosystem services to rapidly, growing, urban populations.. The cultural and natural biodiversity integrated within urban ecological infrastructure is a key to metropolitan sustainability. However, rapid urban development has left stream systems, urban agriculture, wetlands and urban forests as fragmented spaces vulnerable to future development.