What are they and what do they aim to achieve? Do we live in one and just how widespread have they become in recent years? Are they merely vehicles for unethical surveillance or an example of technological integration that improves urban management for citizens?

4zzz’s Toni Pankaluic chatted about ‘All Things Smart Cities’ with Marcus Foth, a Professor of Urban Infomatics from the Queensland University of Technology’s School of Design.

For a deep dive...

For more on Professor Marcus Foth - visit his profile page.  Here’s some links, if you wish to contact him, check out all his previous media appearances or watch his presentation talks.

Here’s some examples of Professor Foths’s research on various topics involving Smart Cities:

• Community engagement


• Concerns over data and privacy


• DataCare - proposed new model for Smart Cities


• Sustainability issues - (Evading Urban ecocide | More-than-Human design | Digital / green criminology) 

On ‘The Conversation’, you can read Professor Foth’s articles on other topics such as the Metaverse or blockchains in addition to Smart Cities.

Learn more about the difference between a successful implementation of a Smart City in Barcelona compared to a failed attempt in Toronto.

Here is a list of Smart City Associations in Australia:

• Australian Smart Communities


• Open & Agile Smart Cities


• Smart Cities Council

In our interview, Professer Foth brings attention to a e-waste at the Agbogbloshie dumpsite near Accra, Ghana that has created a socio-economic and environmental disaster. Here is a short video on Agbogbloshie.