The Smart Community Podcast

Hosted by Zoe Eather

TechnologyInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

387

Latest episode

May 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

"Making Smart Communities that are Accessible, Liveable and Sustainable for All" The Smart Community Podcast is a hub where Smart and exciting people from all around the world come to discuss all things Smart City, Smart Town, Smart Region - anything that makes a place more liveable. Together we can create the Smart Community Collective. Disclaimer: All content is representative of personal opinion only and is not associated with any company, organisation or government agency.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

May 31, 202648 min

The Future of Human-Centred Design: Design for Life with Prof. Martin Tomitsch

Hi #SmartCommunity friends,We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, work and record this podcast and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening.In this episode of the Smart Community Podcast, I speak with Professor Martin Tomitsch, Head of the Transdisciplinary School at UTS, about the evolution and future of human-centred design.Martin shares how human-centred design has shaped technology and innovation over the past few decades, why we need to critically reflect on its unintended consequences and how we can ensure emerging technologies like AI remain grounded in diverse human perspectives and ethical design practices.We discuss dark patterns, persuasive technologies, social media, circular economy opportunities and the importance of designing not just for users, but for communities and society more broadly.As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.Connect with Martin via LinkedIn and the UTS website.Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.communityConnect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn, Instagram or YouTube.The Smart Community Podcast is produced by Perk Digital.

May 3, 2026Episode 38646 min

The Future of Public Transport: Making It the Obvious Choice, with Lauren Streifer

Public transport is often seen as infrastructure. But what if it’s actually one of our most powerful tools for building connected, equitable and thriving communities?In this episode, Zoe Eather is joined by Lauren Streifer, Chief Executive of the Public Transport Association for Australia and New Zealand, to explore the evolving role of public transport in shaping better cities.Lauren shares her journey into the sector and unpacks what it really takes to make public transport the easy and desirable choice, from reliability and frequency to customer experience, branding and technology.They also discuss the shift towards more people-focused cities, the role of public transport in addressing climate and equity challenges, and why improving access can have a profound impact on health and social connection.This podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples. We pay our respects to Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today

April 5, 2026Episode 3851 hr 13 min

The Future of Startups: Innovation, AI & Community Impact with Colin Kinner

We’re kicking off a new monthly “Future Of” series on the Smart Community Podcast, exploring what’s changing across industries and what it means for our communities.In this episode, Zoe Eather is joined by Colin Kinner to explore the future of startups.They unpack what defines a startup, how Australia’s startup ecosystem has evolved and how AI is lowering the barriers to building and scaling new ideas. Tools like Replit and Lovable are enabling non-technical founders to create products faster than ever before.But as access increases, so do the challenges.From AI slop and data privacy risks to the changing nature of work, this conversation explores both the opportunities and the tensions shaping the startup landscape.They also connect startups back to smart communities, highlighting their role in economic diversification and building more resilient regions.We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live, work and record this podcast and pay our respects to Elders past and present. We extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

March 1, 2026Episode 38410 min

Zoe’s 2026 PhD and Smart Community Podcast Update

Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode I'm coming to you from the road at Adelaide Fringe Festival where I'm performing my comedy show (a story for another day!). I wanted to jump on and let you know that we've finished this series for my PhD research into data storytelling, and share what's coming next.In this update I tell you about the next phase of my PhD (thematic analysis and writing papers on the insights from these interviews), plus a new research partnership with a NSW council, and what to expect on The Smart Community podcast for 2026.Thank you so much for coming along on this journey with me. I hope you've enjoyed these interviews and as always, we hope you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.communityConnect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn or Twitter and watch on YouTubePodcast Production by Perk DigitalThis podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples. I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today. Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years. I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today.

February 22, 2026Episode 38357 min

Interactive Data Visualisations in Smart Communities, with Melanie Thewlis

Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a fantastic chat with Melanie Thewlis. Melanie is a Full Stack Engineer at Sitemate. At the time of the recording Melanie was Front End Developer at City of Melbourne on the City Data Experience team, specialising in interactive data visualisations in the browser, with 15 years of experience in the space.In this episode Melanie tells us about the City DNA platform, a giant 3D printed model of Melbourne where different data scenarios can be projected onto the map. We discuss the stormwater gamification project that transformed tense flood conversations into empowering community experiences, including how playing the ‘maintenance crew game’ built trust with concerned residents. We talk about mapping Aboriginal Melbourne with traditional owners and designing engagement websites for major projects like the Greenline and Royal Park Master Plan.We finish our chat discussing the power of embodied data through examples like climate scarves and Georgia Lupi's Long COVID diary, encouraging creative and playful ways to explore data beyond Excel. As always, we hope you enjoyed listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.communityConnect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn or Twitter and watch on YouTubePodcast Production by Perk DigitalThis podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples. I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today. Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years. I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today.Podcast Production by Perk Digital

February 15, 2026Episode 38256 min

Embedding Data Culture in Local Government, with Michael Whereat

Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have an enlightening conversation with Michael Whereat. Michael is the Smart Cities Lead for Sunshine Coast Council, in Queensland, where he helps staff and people across the region access data and information to make informed decisions.In this episode Michael tells us about the problem statement methodology guiding all Smart Cities work at Sunshine Coast Council and evaluating projects through a rubric to deliver greatest organisational benefits. We discuss the Kings Beach playground renewal that used vibration sensors and WiFi counts to understand usage patterns, and the democratisation and publication of the data dashboards. We talk about edge processing for privacy protection, the data trailer with QR codes explaining data collection to community, and how technology reduces bias compared to staff counting.We finish our chat discussing curiosity and listening for gaps in data not just what you see, but what's not there that should be. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.communityConnect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTubePodcast Production by Perk DigitalThis podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples. I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today. Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years. I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today.DisclaimerThe views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole.Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.

February 8, 2026Episode 38153 min

Communicating Research Outcomes in Smart Communities, with Professor Pascal Perez

Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a great conversation with Professor Pascal Perez. Pascal is the Director of the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN), a national research infrastructure facility funded by the Australian government that serves researchers across the country working on urban systems, infrastructure, and local communities.In this episode Pascal tells us about using story mapping tools to communicate research outcomes, mixing plain text, interactive maps, and traditional graphs. We discuss the Australian Urban Health Indicators project examining heat waves, including the challenge of creating better causation indicators while realising mobile location data is the missing piece. We talk about the Map of the Month project bringing global community engagement approaches to Melbourne and digital tools for urban design.We finish our chat discussing the critical difference between data, information, and knowledge, and why the hard yards are really between information and knowledge. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.communityConnect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTubePodcast Production by Perk DigitalThis podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples. I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today. Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years. I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today.DisclaimerThe views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole.Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.

February 1, 2026Episode 38048 min

Design Decisions and Collaboration in Data Visualisation, with Professor Alberto Cairo

Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have an incredible conversation with Prof. Alberto Cairo. Alberto is the Knight Chair in Visual Journalism at the School of Communication of the University of Miami and Director of Visualization at the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing, plus author of several influential books including The Functional Art, The Truthful Art, How Charts Lie, and The Art of Insight.In this episode Alberto tells us about his work with the National Hurricane Center designing graphics to convey hurricane risks to Miami's diverse multilingual population. We discuss why visualisation design needs decision-making processes rather than rigid rules, and why those decisions should be subjective but never arbitrary. We talk about collaboration being essential since designers acknowledge they often know nothing about the data and must ask experts tons of questions.We finish our chat discussing the gap between expert designers and general public readers, encouraging everyone to just get started making graphics when they wish a story or spreadsheet was clearer. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.communityConnect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTubePodcast Production by Perk DigitalThis podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples. I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today. Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years. I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today.DisclaimerThe views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole.Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.

January 26, 2026Episode 37956 min

Audience-First Storytelling in Smart Communities, with Paul Hodge

Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a brilliant discussion with Paul Hodge, also known as The Data Vis Guy. Paul is an independent consultant specialising in education and mentoring around data visualisation and storytelling, working with global organisations and state and federal government agencies.In this episode Paul tells us about the three core principles of his training: engaging and holding audience attention, delivering insights rather than just data, and bringing it all together through design thinking. We discuss the importance of defining specific audiences rather than being too general, including a detailed case study of a data asset portfolio that used a heat map to identify high-risk assets. We talk about Randy Olson's ABT structure (And, But, Therefore) as the simplest form of storytelling.We finish our chat discussing impactful visualisations like the 9/11 Memorial's algorithmically determined name placement and the Periscopic gun deaths visualisation showing lost years to society. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.communityConnect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTubePodcast Production by Perk DigitalThis podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples. I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today. Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years. I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today.DisclaimerThe views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole.Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.

January 18, 2026Episode 37845 min

Embedding Technology and Quantifying Placemaking in Smart Communities, with Eshita Dutia

Hi #SmartCommunity friends, in this episode of the Smart Community podcast I have a wonderful conversation with Eshita Dutia. Eshita is the Principal Smart Places Officer at Cumberland City Council, bringing her background as an architect, planner, and urban designer to the smart city space with a focus on putting community first.In this episode Eshita tells us about actioning Cumberland's Smart Places Strategy and Action Plan, embedding smart technology into placemaking projects to collect data and show impact. We discuss the Guilford Laneway project as part of Transport for NSW's Safer Cities Her Way program, including how the team moved from ad hoc data collection to a streamlined Data for Places methodology. We talk about combining qualitative feedback like perception of safety surveys with quantitative data including footfall, dwell time, and economic spend.We finish our chat discussing the power of simplified data and how small-scale interventions can have significant impact when documented through data storytelling. As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.communityConnect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn and watch on YouTubePodcast Production by Perk DigitalThis podcast is recorded on the traditional lands of the Kabi Kabi peoples and edited on the lands of the Gaibal peoples. I pay my respects to traditional owners of country and their elders past and present. I also extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples listening today. Here on the Smart Community Podcast, we talk about data, technology, communities and the future. First Nations peoples have been sharing knowledge, caring for country, and telling stories for tens of thousands of years. I honour that deep connection of storytelling and community connection as we continue our conversation together here today.DisclaimerThe views, opinions, and perspectives expressed by guests on The Smart Community Podcast are solely those of the individual speakers. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of the host, Zoe Eather, or of The Smart Community Podcast as a whole.Any discussion of ideas, products, organisations, or services by podcast guests does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the host or the podcast. Listeners are encouraged to form their own opinions and seek professional advice where appropriate.