Behind our partnership with SCCANZ to deliver on smart cities and communities

Earlier this month , we announced our partnership with t he Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand (SCCANZ). We’ll be working together to develop a Code for Smart Communities that will elevate benchmarks for sustainable, liveable cities across Australia, New Zealand and beyond.

So how will we achieve this and how soon will we see the wheels in motion?

SCCANZ Executive Director, Adam Beck, unpacks the essentials.

How did the partnership between GBCA and SCCANZ come about?

When the Smart Cities Council was assessing the most viable partner to strategically help guide and support this project, there was no question about it being the GBCA. Our international team felt the reputation and quality of GBCA's products, as well as Australia's global leadership in tool development and market transformation, is of the highest quality.

What are the key deliverables in the new Code?

The Code will be delivered as document which the development industry and local and state government can reference in their project planning and delivery. We also see that policy makers will use it in their program work, project scoping studies and performance specification requirements.

What time frame are we looking at in terms of some of these initiatives to be rolled out?

The Code will be developed in two phases. We’ll start with an initial 60-day sprint, which will bring industry stakeholders together in studio sessions to scope the Code.

Then, we’ll reveal a draft of the Code at our international conference in Washington DC, called Smart Cities Week. From there we will commence a second phase of its development, which will involve the addition of material to support its uptake.

We anticipate launching the final Code in the first half of 2018.

How do you hope this will influence communities around Australia?

Quite simply, we see the Code accelerating sustainability outcomes on development projects.

Whether it be net zero aspirations, mobility goals, greater water efficiency or knowledge worker jobs, development projects will have a framework for embracing technology, data and intelligent design for maximum impact.

How prevalent will the Green Star – Communities rating tool be in helping the Code achieve its goals?

We see the Code for Smart Communities and the Green Star – Communities rating tool working closely together – they’ll go hand in hand.

We are still yet to define this specifically, but we know that the Code will inform Green Star – Communities in a way that will provide the development industry with new guidance to help it deliver the highest sustainability outcomes possible.

Why has the GBCA and SCCANZ taken action on this?

It’s important that we continue to build a culture of outcomes-driven development in Australia and New Zealand, and that we provide the tools, guidance and support necessary. This partnership between the Smart Cities Council and the GBCA is going to deliver a fundamental transformation in how our industry embraces technology and data as a catalyst for greater sustainability performance.