Key Highlights from CIVITAS Projects in the Last Six Months

Over the past six months, CIVITAS projects have achieved important milestones, including creating innovative solutions, community engagement and advancing cutting-edge technology aimed at transforming urban mobility. Below is a summary of some of the key developments. 

Co-creation and stakeholder involvement: 

• ELABORATOR published a Co-Creation Playbook, which offers cities a methodological foundation and practical guidance for engaging stakeholders and citizens, especially vulnerable road users (VRUs), in developing qualitative data collection methods, including community-based and citizen-science research.  
• AMIGOS developed the Urban Mobility Co-Design Canvas, a tabletop game to collect citizen needs for smart mobility solutions.

Transferability and Twinning programs: 

• URBANE launched the Innovation Transferability Platform (MS2) to facilitate last-mile logistics data collection for predictive modelling.
• SPINE launched its twinning framework aiming to foster synchronisation and cross-pollination among the Living Labs, emphasising collaboration over isolated efforts. 
• DISCO established the DISCO Knowledge Hub, an open-source platform designed to support urban logistics collaboration.
• REALLOCATE published the Peer Learning & Capacity Building Masterplan, detailing how the project complements collaboration between cities on shared challenges, barriers, good practices and successful innovative approaches. This initiative also provides technical expertise, aiming to increase the potential for replication, upscaling and the long-term impact of project interventions.

Data management: 

• REALLOCATE established an AI-powered Distributed Dashboard and Multimodal Data Hub, which enables monitoring activities; integrates data and supports the project’s evaluation and impact analysis. 
• AMIGOS developed a Big Data Platform, a cloud-based and AI-enabled tool to manage and analyse large-scale city data. This data helps to extract relevant Key Performance Indicators, create predictive models and support the use of digital twins for standardised urban mobility assessments across cities.

Tools for optimisation of service: 

• SCALE-UP upgraded its  “Smart Ways to Antwerp” route planner to better support multimodal journey planning. The tool is now available for free integration on other websites.
• SENATOR successfully tested a route optimization algorithm within Zaragoza’s urban lab, resulting in a 54% productivity and a 48% reduction in kilometres travelled.
• SUM developed the first version of a proof-of-concept for a short-term NSM demand forecasting algorithm, which integrates with public transport services.  
• The UPPER project published the initial development of the U-TOOLs—the UPPER Measures Implementation Support Toolkit includes U-TWIN, U-SIM, U-NEED, U-GOV and U-SUMP.

Capacity building and knowledge exchange:

• SCALE-UP and MOVE21 co-hosted an e-course on Integrating mobility services to foster sustainability in urban nodes, targeting planners and decision-makers from fellow cities, encouraging replication of successful measures
• UPPER and SPINE workshop on “Streets for Life – lower speed limits and better Public Transport”  organised in April 2024. The joint webinar delved into the concept of “Speed Kills” and explored the reasons why traffic calming measures are essential in transforming cities into safer and livable spaces for all residents.
• UPPER and SPINE participated, together with MOVE21, in a webinar titled “Designing Multimodal Hubs: Lessons and Insights from City to City” in July 2024. The webinar aimed to promote a city-to-city exchange, sharing experiences, discussing challenges and exploring best practices when implementing multimodal hubs. 

Stay tuned for the next round of highlights from our CIVITAS projects!

Author: TRT TRASPORTI E TERRITORIO

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