The Smart Community Podcast

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 Felicity Furey, engineer, author, speaker and CEO of WeAspire, about the future of engineering and why it's time to rethink how we design the world around us.
Felicity shares the inspiration behind her new book, The Future of Engineering: Legacy by Design, exploring how engineering can move beyond traditional measures of time, cost and quality to create infrastructure that prioritises people, communities and long-term wellbeing.
We discuss why engineering is not broken but incomplete, how human-centred thinking needs to evolve and why diverse perspectives, meaningful community engagement and systems thinking are essential for building better places.
We also explore the hidden biases embedded in engineering, standards and technology, why diverse perspectives lead to better outcomes and how genuine community engagement can help create infrastructure that serves everyone, not just the people it was originally designed for.
The conversation also explores technology, AI, leadership and our growing need to reconnect with the human experience as we shape smarter communities.
As always, we hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed making it.
Connect:
Connect with Felicity via LinkedIn and learn more about her work
Connect with me via email: hello@mysmart.community
Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn, Instagram or YouTube.
The Smart Community Podcast is produced by Perk Digital.

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.community
Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn, Instagram or YouTube.
The Smart Community Podcast is produced by Perk Digital.

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

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.

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.community

Connect with My Smart Community via LinkedIn or Twitter and watch on YouTube

Podcast Production by Perk Digital
This 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.