AI and open data: The new urban operating system Citiverse
Looking inside the EU’s urban AI tools, the Citiverse project, and how they are transforming city planning
In a step towards smarter urban living, the European Commission will launch a string of AI-powered tools designed to help cities across Europe in tackling complex urban challenges. These tools are part of the EU’s digital strategy and are aimed at transforming city planning, management, and development to enable cities to align with green initiatives and sustainable policies.
At the centre of this initiative is the ability to create digital replicas of cities – detailed 3D models which integrate data from traffic systems, building layouts, and environmental sensors. The tools are also able to help integrate urban data from diverse sources, such as historical data and real-time inputs, to establish further insights for simulations. With this, the development of optimal urban plans and strategies is possible in the urban domains of mobility planning, energy optimisation, urban health, and urban planning.
This initiative is closely linked to the Citiverse project, which is a European Digital Infrastructure Consortium focused on building an EU ecosystem of AI solutions for cities. The Citiverse is a new digital space where users can interact by applying AR/VR tools to participatory decision-making. This enables smarter urban planning, enhanced public services and stronger community engagement. All these initiatives are powered by open data, from real-time traffic flows to historical energy usage. Open data enables AI models to learn, adapt, and respond to urban dynamics accordingly and allows for collaboration and innovation to co-create scalable solutions on a local and global level.
As cities across Europe are feeling pressure to become more sustainable and resilient, these urban AI tools offer an easy and trustworthy method to plan in an intelligent, inclusive, and efficient way. If you want to stay informed, make sure to check whether your city joins the Citiverse initiative!
For more news and events, follow us on X/Twitter and LinkedIn, or subscribe to our newsletter. You can also connect with other users through our collaboration channel.