This paper discusses a major Smart Cities project, the output of which is an interactive digital platform which tests optimal public transport patronage and employment creation potential of various railway station development options.

There is a growing imperative for infrastructure decisions in Australia to be based on evidenced based approaches which are data driven. Urban growth modelling is increasingly being used in strategic infrastructure planning practice. However, current models tend to be "once-off" applications based on static equilibrium approaches that represent little or no behavioural validity.

In this paper, the current policy of planning for self-sufficiency in the Perth metropolitan area is evaluated against an enhanced understanding of the wider literature on the motives, measures, achievements and complexities inherent in the notion of balanced growth.