Hub Director Lyria Bennett Moses speaks at the first Smart Western Sydney Showcase

In early November, Hub Director Lyria Bennett Moses delivered her keynote speech, Technologies we want to live with – What makes a ‘smart’ city? at the first ever Smart Western Sydney Showcase event in Olympic Park. This event was organised by the Transport for New South Wales Smart Cities team. 

The key aim of this event was to give local councils insight into the future of technology and data solutions, with speakers including senior government and business leaders, alongside panel discussions with thought leaders and disruptors.

In such dynamic company, Lyria's keynote suggests that 'smart cities' are often considered places filled to the brim with technologies, "sensors collect data, algorithms optimise functionality, and ultimately this leads to efficiency, mobility, sustainability, and a good quality of life." However, she suggests a rethinking of this assumption, suggesting that in building 'smart cities', we should rather start with our needs - for efficiency, mobility, sustainability, greater quality of life - and from this position, consider where technology fits.  

By questioning the push for increasing technology, Lyria proposed that simply adding "more" technology may not deliver us what we truly need and want from a 'smart city'. 

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