Making Hobart a smart place: a healthy, just and ecological approach to smart cities

Hobart is embarking on a journey to becoming a ‘smart city’, a global phenomenon where cities are using networks of sensors to provide better services to citizens. From Dublin to Barcelona, Singapore to Bogota, smart cities have better connected public transport, more efficient waste collection, and more open and transparent data services. However, smart cities have also been criticised for 1) being ‘placeless’ as the same suite of technologies and services are adopted in cities around the globe; 2) reinforcing inequities as marginalised people are further disadvantaged and disempowered by the adoption of technologies aimed at the wealthy and educated; and 3) further disconnecting the community from nature experiences.