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Low-income workers in Australia’s two largest cities face a trade-off between rent and commuting costs, with those who pay lower rents often spending more to travel to and from work, and vice versa, according to new research by the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI).

AHURI has formed a collaboration with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to convene an international housing policy exchange in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This online policy roundtable will provide an important platform for international knowledge exchange and evidence building as global recovery commences.

Australian City Deals are aimed at increasing the productivity and liveability of specific geographical areas, and often target technology-based economic developments as a key solution. Internationally, a number of similar technology-focussed regional development programs—perhaps best called ‘smart city’ programs—can suggest features that need to be considered and addressed in such ‘deals’.

Access to affordable, appropriate, safe and secure housing is foundational to the economic, environmental and social functioning of cities. Urban policy in Australia is primarily focused on the supply of new housing in Australian cities in response to the need to manage urban growth boundaries and address housing affordability issues.

Internationally, a key driver for the popularity of smart city initiatives has been their potential to deliver economic benefits for cities and their governments, businesses, and citizens, and their ability to increase a city’s competitiveness locally and internationally.