Our Mission

Developing new data sets and software tools for planning, designing, building and managing cities needs a co-ordinated international approach across specialist disciplines and industry sectors.

We aim to accelerate convergences of technologies across five existing clusters of relevant disciplines involved in research, government, commercial and community organisations. These themes currently are being explored by digitally advanced environmental scientists and engineers, surveyors, architects, artists, film makers and other designers of built and virtual environments.

Organizational Diagram

Start with the top left bubble (column headed Research) and read across the first row of bubbles for the names of organisations so far identified as potential leaders of the four main sectors of d_city participants: Researchers, Governments, Commercial Enterprises and Citizens of the Earth.

Starting again at the top left bubble headed Research, read down the first column (yellow) for the five d_city research themes, and the main professional disciplines that are currently advancing them. The d_city project aims to help co-ordinate and integrate advances by these diverse communities, enabling them to collaborate via many emerging online technologies, and gradually converging their realms of knowledge for humanity’s benefit.

To enable the network to achieve its desired goals, three systems must be established (represented by the three vertical red bars)

—Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI). Already working well is an international not-for-profit alliance of diverse organisations which aim to accelerate an effective system for gathering, collecting, managing and delivering massive quantities of information relevant to managing the challenges of climate change and urban development.

—DCity Pty Ltd. A new ‘limited profit’ communications agency to co-ordinate and support media and communications participants in the d_city project, including managing applications of the internationally registered d_city trademark.

—Data City Systems Pty Ltd. A forthcoming ‘limited profit’ consortium of global corporations operating like a software publishing company to commercialise selected digital urban planning tools and systems. Researchers, research centres and host institutions would receive royalties on sales. Suprlus profits of this company would be returned to the research communities as prestigious Awards for Achievement.

Online Planning Case Studies

Using these participants, d_city’s first priority is to establish a global chain of case studies for ‘Online Planning of Eco Cities’ – applying dynamic digital information about the earth’s natural environmental systems, to better inform the eco-sensitive planning of large new urban developments. Download brief eco cities global notice.

Discussions have begun with senior executives at UN-HABITAT (and other relevant UN programmes) about the appropriate processes for appointing 15 eminent professors as members of a Global Research Leaders Group. The GRLG will thought-lead advances in the five d_city research themes (see right), and strategies for research participants in the online planning case studies.