Making the Gold Coast a Smart City—An Analysis

This article examines the opportunities and challenges regional cities face in transitioning toward smart city models, using the Gold Coast as a detailed case study. Drawing on a five‑theme analytical framework—cultural and natural amenities, technology, knowledge and innovation precincts, people and skills, and governance—it evaluates the city’s current initiatives, structural constraints and strategic gaps. The analysis highlights the need for more integrated planning, stronger governance alignment and sustained investment in digital and social infrastructure to support the Gold Coast’s evolution into a coordinated, people‑centred smart city, offering lessons relevant to other regional cities pursuing similar ambitions.