Smart Cities Council Australia New Zealand (SCCANZ) and the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) have announced a partnership to develop a Code for Smart Communities, in order to aid the development of sustainable cities.
SCCANZ Executive Director, Adam Beck, said that the Code for Smart Communities will set new benchmarks for smart cities and communities across Australia and New Zealand by providing important guidance on how to use technology, data and intelligent design to accelerate more efficient, liveable and sustainable development projects.
“The code will provide important, voluntary guidance to the development industry and include the necessary scoping issues, metrics and model language for the planning, design and delivery of smart communities.”
Chief Executive Officer for the GBCA, Romilly Madew, said the partnership highlights the value of data and technology in transforming the ways that cities are planned, built and managed.
“The rapid pace of urbanisation in the region and the growing challenges that come with it demand a laser-focus on innovative technologies and approaches that will help our industry meet zero carbon emissions targets,” Ms Madew said.
The GBCA has been the leading force in driving sustainable buildings and communities in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa through the Green Star rating system for buildings and communities. Almost 1,500 projects around Australia have Green Star ratings.
“The Code for Smart Communities will provide valuable guidance to governments and private sector developers alike, and will complement the Green Star suite of rating tools,” Ms Madew said.
The Code for Smart Communities will be developed with the support of an advisory committee set to undertake a 60-day sprint, which will see multiple workshops and review sessions with key stakeholders, before being showcased as a draft at the Smart Cities Council international conference in Washington DC in October 2017.
