By 2020, 80% of the world's population is expected to be living in cities. Some estimates are predicting that the cost of urban congestion will reach $37.7 billion by 2030. Under the pressure of such drivers governments, councils and leaders in all spheres of life are rethinking urbanisation and are conceptualising futuristic solutions to improve the liveability, sustainability and economy of our urban spaces.

Like everywhere else, Australian governments, councils, and private sectors are realising that it is becoming imperative to find solutions to effectively and efficiently manage city resources while providing social and environmental standards relevant to the norms and values of their citizens.

Recently, the Turnbull government released their 'Smart Cities Plan' (1)--a document that advocates the concept of '30 minutes cities'--to guide urban planning so that a city's residents can have access to employment, shopping, services, recreational facilities and schools all within 30 minutes of their homes.

Its aim is to act as a framework for policy and decision making, at the city and federal levels, to improve Australian cities and regions, along with the expectation that appropriate infrastructure planning and investment will support the plan.

The federal government's 'Smart Cities'-related initiatives are coincident with many debates and initiatives supporting socio-technical innovation and entrepreneurship, which have the potential of delivering benefits to all Australians.

Advances in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are at the centre of the socio-technical innovation that underpins 'Smart City' programs all around the world. And at the very core of the innovation driving the 'Smart Cities' agenda, needs to be extensive and robust engagements and collaborations between different stakeholders, including governments, councils, citizens, industry, and universities. Any discussion about 'Smart Cities' needs to look into the needs, different forms, and mechanisms for conceiving and materialising 'Smart Cities' initiatives in their respective contexts.

With 'Smart City' becoming a catchphrase, initiatives and platforms are mushrooming. Whilst rapid urbanisation introduces challenges to city services and infrastructure, an increased population also creates economic opportunities and social advantages for citizens. A 'Smart City' helps capitalise on opportunities while easing the challenges of urbanisation. (2) This means that improving cities' infrastructures towards 'smartness', as well as educating the next generation with IT skills, is crucial for future economic growth and competitiveness.

So what is a 'Smart City' and what types of challenges can be involved in conceiving, creating, and evolving a 'Smart City'?

Human Before Machine

There exists a large variety of definitions to describe a 'Smart City', which has also been referred as: digital cities, intelligent cities, ubiquitous cities, information cities and also creative cities, knowledge cities, learning cities, and smart communities. Based on our own perspective and work, we define a 'Smart City' in this way:

From a technological perspective, emerging technologies such as Big and Open Data analysis, Cloud Computing, Fog Computing, the Internet of Things (IoT) or r the Internet of Everything (IoE), and their innovative applications, are paving the way for conceiving, designing, and deploying smart applications.

Yet one important point to be understood...