Discover

Discovery will help you define your place. It helps set the outcomes you want to achieve for the people who will live, work, play and invest there.

Goals of this stage

Use technology and data solutions with purpose. They should respond to problems and opportunities you identify during the discovery stage.

This will help you achieve great outcomes for your community and the place.

During this stage, you will need to:

  • identify the boundaries of your precinct or place
  • understand the cultural significance and history of the place
  • understand the strategic context of the place
  • understand the communities' experiences and desires for the place
  • agree on the ambitions and future needs of the place
  • identify barriers to achieving these ambitions
  • understand your authorising environment.

Continuing to engage with your community

Engaging customers and stakeholders during the design stage is essential to helping you understand:

  • the data that may exist to support your solutions
  • how well your planned solutions meet stakeholder needs
  • the level of support you have for new approaches and any stakeholder concerns.

Refer to involving your community for more guidance.

i. Defining your place

ii. Identifying problems and outcomes

iii. Developing a smart strategy

iv. Advancing digital inclusivity

v. Understanding your authorising environment

Checklist

Define your place

  • Identify and clearly define the area you want to design, considering diverse spaces like parks, streets, or economic zones.

Identify communities and stakeholders

  • Identify the people who live, work or visit the place (or people who might in future).

Respect the local character of the place

  • Initiate early engagement with communities to understand desires, problems, and opportunities for the place.
  • Review local and regional plans, including the Regional Plan, Local Strategic Planning Statement, and Community Strategic Plan, to align with your smart place initiatives.

Assess the current state of your place

Develop problem and outcome statements

  • Clearly articulate desired outcomes before focusing on technologies.
  • Use strategic plans or define new outcomes in collaboration with the community.

Advance digital inclusion

  • Proactively address digital inequity.
  • Consider access, affordability and individual ability.

Develop a smart strategy

  • Consider the need for a smart strategy, or embed smart technologies in other place plans and strategies.

Understand your authorising environment

  • Understand the approvals required for your project, taking into account organisational, legal and funding aspects.
  • Engage early with approvers to gather the necessary information.

Related case studies

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Digital Equity and Inclusion

Western Parkland City Digital Equity and Inclusion Insights Program

Helping people in Western Parkland City engage with digital services.

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A parent and child using the smart furniture at Merrylands Civic Square. Credit: Cumberland City Council

Smart Central River City Program

Implementing Smart Places principles in a brownfield context for the Central River City. This program is driving transformation of the area into a thriving economic powerhouse.

Related learning

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Two people sitting at a desk look at a laptop in Oran Park Library.

SmartNSW Masterclass: Bridging the digital divide

This masterclass dives into digital inclusion and equity and examples of how we can address this digital divide. Access the recordings and resources to learn from researchers, policy experts and representatives from our diverse communities.

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