This project will develop an Urban Analytics Data Infrastructure that explicitly leverages and builds on the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN). This digital data infrastructure will enable the integration, harmonisation, connectivity and scalability of multi-source urban datasets. These capabilities are predicated on the adoption of ISO standards, the development of new ontological frameworks and an urban data dictionary to enable semantic inferencing of datasets, and the development of 3D/4D data structures and services. This fundamental framework will then be applied to urban data relevant to people, land and urban infrastructure to support new capacities in comparative and multi-dimensional analytics.

The project will build on Australia’s emerging research strength in urban analytics and support and develop research infrastructure both for the urban research community and for the broader community. It will be a collaborative effort, bringing together the skills, knowledge and experiences of a group of Australia’s leading urban research entities in six universities. This group will leverage AURIN’s Data Hubs to systematise coverage across jurisdictions, harmonise data and, through the application of appropriate benchmarking and analytic procedures, produce a comprehensive suite of value-added data that will be made openly available to support and enhance the research agendas of urban researchers across the nation.