Our cities

Interventions will be demonstrated in a selection of cities across Europe

Lighthouse cities

6 cities will pilot key interventions. They will be specifically co-designed and co-created with identified vulnerable to exclusion user groups, local authorities and other relevant stakeholders.

Milan

Italy

Milan faces persistent road safety challenges in its public transport, grappling with traffic fatalities and inadequate accessibility for vulnerable road users (VRUs). With an eye to the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina, the Milan Living Lab will focus on making the Olympic routes universally accessible, deploying cutting-edge sensors for visually impaired individuals and implementing tactical urbanism strategies along Via Novara. These interventions aim to create safer, more pedestrian-friendly environments and demonstrate Milan's commitment to inclusive urban development. The interventions will use stakeholder engagement to ensure that diverse perspectives—from disability advocacy groups to urban planners—are integrated into the design and implementation phases.

The Living Lab also incorporates digital technologies such as participatory mapping and decision support systems (DSS) to enhance urban planning processes. By mapping pedestrian infrastructure and using DSS to prioritize accessibility projects, Milan aims to establish a scalable model for future urban developments. This approach not only improves immediate safety and accessibility around Olympic venues but also sets a precedent for sustainable urban planning across the entire city.

In the long term, Milan seeks to redefine public spaces along Via Novara, transforming it from a thoroughfare to a cultural hub prioritising pedestrian and cyclist safety. The Living Lab's comprehensive mapping efforts and ongoing stakeholder consultations are poised to leave a lasting impact, guiding future redevelopment efforts towards greater accessibility and urban inclusivity throughout Milan's diverse neighbourhoods.

Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

The Issy-les-Moulineaux Living Lab aims to address an area highlighted by various stakeholders as dangerous for cyclists due to heavy traffic and unsafe bike lanes. The focus of the Lab is thus on enhancing safety for cyclists and subsequently for pedestrians, facilitating easier access to offices for workers and the nearby Ile Saint-Germain for families. The Lab also aims to promote sustainable transport modes, aligning with Issy-les-Moulineaux's urban redesign goal for major roads to prioritise bikes and pedestrians.

Issy will do so by engaging with stakeholders such as the city departments in charge of the road's infrastructure, cyclist associations, cyclists themselves, road users, and companies around the area. They will also undertake measurement campaigns to guide the interventions, which will consist of installing the Flowell technology for ground-level light markings to pre-empt potential collisions. The direct impact of the Lab is to achieve a less dangerous interaction phase between the different road users and to increase the number of bike users and pedestrians in the area. One of the identified mid-term goals is to use the experimentation made during ELABORATOR to better define the new organisation of the urban space where we want to have more space for bikes and pedestrians as the evaluation period will help us to define the elements. which will occur from 2025 to 2027. In the long-term view, the goal is to foster a city-wide cultural shift towards sustainable transport and enhanced safety.

Zaragoza

Spain

The Zaragoza Living Lab aims to develop safer and more accessible public spaces, particularly for women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. It will be located around the New Romareda Stadium, which has a hospital, seven schools, and an elderly home within a 500-meter radius. This area sees a convergence of pedestrian, bike, and traffic flows and is served by urban buses, trams, and shared services. The goal is to test and co-design safe, universal approaches at the neighbourhood level, balancing daily mobility needs with the big events scheduled at the stadium.

The main objective of the Zaragoza Living Lab is to leverage the New Romareda Stadium project to transform public spaces. The Lab will collaborate with local stakeholders and residents to shape the future mobility of this district. Consequently, the Municipality will test alternatives for public space transformation once the stadium is completed. To achieve this, the Living Lab will undertake several activities:

Characterising local pedestrian mobility with on-site data collection and evaluation using an on-demand diagnostic mobility lab;
Deploying a shared bicycle and e-scooter station for key local actors, enhanced with a Citizen Science Kit for mobility and environmental data collection;
Conducting co-creation and safety evaluations through GIS-based surveys, a Mobility co-design Videogame, and participatory processes to gather local input;
Testing future scenarios via pedestrian microsimulations to create public space design alternatives.

The expected impacts include promoting active mobility and responsible vehicle use in shared spaces, reducing car dependence for families at nearby schools, improving cycling infrastructure and public space distribution, and continuing to promote sustainable transport.

Trikala

Greece

Trikala faces mobility challenges due to underserved rural public transport, leading to car dependency, environmental impact, and city centre congestion. Some key issues include climate change, road safety, urbanization, and poor air quality from car emissions.

To address this, the Trikala Living Lab will promote sustainable mobility solutions like bicycles and efficient public transport, aligned with the Cities Mission. The city's Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) aims to enhance life quality through interventions like unifying bike paths, leveraging ICT infrastructures, and redeveloping public spaces to encourage sustainable transportation.

The main objective is to integrate and create new services for safe commuting, especially for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and women. Solutions include park-and-ride stations with bicycle fleets, sensors for route monitoring, software for bicycle station oversight, smart crossings for traffic control, and data-driven bike lane redesigns. The SMARTA2 app will be integrated to improve accessibility and safety. Participatory workshops will address obstacles and evaluate safety for women cyclists and other vulnerable groups. Expected impacts are increased bike usage and road safety awareness, reduced car dependency, better traffic management, and improved safety for vulnerable groups. Long-term goals include new urban planning strategies, reduced emissions, and increased sustainable mobility, supporting Trikala's vision of becoming a climate-neutral, Smart, and Resilient city by 2030.

Copenhagen

Denmark

The Copenhagen Living Lab aims for a better understanding of vulnerable road users' (VRUs) interactions and patterns to improve traffic management and planning. This initiative is set against the backdrop of significant changes in parking within the Medieval City Center, where 600 car parking spaces will be relocated to parking houses and bike parking will be shifted from squares to nearby streets.

The Lab examines the macro and micro-level impacts of these changes before and after their implementation. On a macro level, the Lighthouse project analyses behavioural, temporal, and spatial patterns in central Copenhagen, while on a micro level, it focuses on near encounters in specific intersections and behaviour in shared spaces. The initiative explores whether reducing parking lots in the Medieval City Center will lead to decreased car traffic, modal shifts, and reduced air pollution.

Additionally, the Lab addresses traffic safety at specific intersections and investigates near-encounter areas. In Copenhagen, bikes often crowd squares and streets, impeding pedestrian movement. To alleviate this, bike racks are being relocated from squares to nearby streets, encouraging better bike parking practices. The Lighthouse project will study the effects of this change. By improving the understanding of VRUs' interactions and patterns, the project aims to enhance traffic management and planning, thus increasing convenience and safety for VRUs. This will be achieved through both a macro perspective, assessing city-wide behavioural patterns, and a micro perspective, examining behaviours and interactions in specific intersections.

Helsinki

Finland

Set in the Jätkäsaari district, the Helsinki Living Lab focuses on enhancing traffic safety through digital solutions. The activities will target areas where the need for interventions is greatest.

The first initiative involves testing new technologies for collecting, visualizing, and analyzing accident-related data. To improve traffic safety, it is crucial to understand the risks associated with traffic. This includes not only analyzing accidents but also considering feelings of insecurity, near misses, and risk situations not covered by official statistics. The Helsinki Lab aims to address this by implementing an extensive, participatory map-based survey and testing new technological solutions for collecting such data, thereby targeting interventions more effectively to improve safety for vulnerable road users (VRUs) in the short term.

Another focus is optimizing parking locations for shared e-scooters. Currently, parking for shared e-scooters is limited in Helsinki. The Lab will restrict and study parking practices to enhance urban space usage, accessibility, and safety.

Additionally, the Lab aims to improve safety at intersections by installing real-time warning systems to reduce accidents involving pedestrians and cyclists. This initiative has the potential for broader implementation to enhance VRU safety in the long term.

Follower cities

6 cities will learn and exchange with the Lighthouse cities to plan and implement their own sustainable solutions.

With a knowledge-sharing twinning approach to improve long-term sustainability, facilitating replication, uptake, and capacity building between the cities, the Lighthouse and Followers cities will work together in a knowledge hub within the project duration and beyond.

Velenje

Slovenia

Velenje is committed to utilizing the Living Lab framework to foster collaboration and innovation in urban mobility, with a particular focus on advancing micro-mobility solutions that support the city's vision for a more environmentally sustainable and interconnected future. Alongside addressing the pressing need for sustainable mobility, the municipality aims to tackle environmental issues while ensuring inclusivity, safety, and efficiency for all residents.

The primary objectives of Velenje’s Living Lab encompass establishing a collaborative ecosystem involving municipal authorities, citizens, and stakeholders to co-create and implement mobility interventions, especially in micro-mobility. Additionally, the Living Lab aims to deploy advanced mobility measurement tools, contribute to climate neutrality goals, and assess the effectiveness of innovative solutions. Velenje’s approach will be comprehensive, involving co-design workshops with local communities, anonymous online surveys to gather quantitative mobility data, and promoting active and green mobility modes. The integration of traffic sensors and cameras will ensure data-driven decision-making, targeting interventions effectively. Furthermore, Velenje plans to engage in knowledge exchange with lighthouse and follower cities to adopt best practices.

In the short term, the Living Lab anticipates increased public engagement in mobility planning, enhanced access to sustainable transportation options, improved data collection capabilities, and a reduced carbon footprint. Looking ahead, Velenje aims to position itself as a model city in Slovenia for climate-neutral urban mobility and aims to increase the adoption of micro-mobility solutions over the long term.

Split

Croatia

The City of Split has strategically identified critical locations plagued by illegal parking, paving the way for a pioneering project involving video surveillance installation to curb violations and enhance traffic safety. Initially focusing on four high-traffic areas, this initiative aims to automatically detect infractions and issue fines, with plans to expand across the city pending successful implementation.

Among the Lab's primary goals is the reduction of illegal parking to reclaim space for pedestrians, cyclists, and other non-motorised users, thereby promoting urban mobility. Notably, the corridor along “Ulica Domovinskog rata” has been pinpointed as a crucial area, with intersections identified as particularly unsafe in Split's current urban landscape. The Living Lab in Split is set to implement a comprehensive approach. It will involve robust data collection to inform decisions, active community engagement in co-creation processes, and the integration of advanced technologies such as video surveillance systems for enforcement. This multifaceted strategy also includes infrastructure redesign initiatives and the promotion of alternative transportation methods to align with the city's climate neutrality objectives. In the short term, the Living Lab anticipates tangible improvements in traffic safety and efficiency, aiming to mitigate congestion and reduce accidents. These immediate gains are expected to foster a more pleasant urban environment for residents and visitors alike. Looking ahead, the Lab envisions a transformative role in shaping Split's future urban planning practices, ensuring sustainability, resilience, and enhanced quality of life in the long term.

Krusevac

Serbia

The Living Lab in Krusevac addresses the city's urban mobility challenges, such as traffic congestion, limited accessibility, and a low share of public transport, which affect residents' daily lives and contribute to environmental concerns. The Lab aims to pioneer innovative solutions to transform Krusevac into a model city for sustainable and inclusive urban mobility. The primary objectives are to alleviate immediate mobility challenges by enhancing accessibility, reducing congestion, and prioritising sustainable transport modes. Additionally, it aims to establish a blueprint for future urban mobility solutions that can be scaled and replicated, aligning with the city's vision of becoming a smart and sustainable urban centre.

Through collaborative workshops and participatory sessions, the Living Lab will engage with stakeholders to identify optimal intervention locations. This approach gathers valuable insights from key community actors and ensures a comprehensive understanding of the urban landscape's unique challenges and opportunities. Co-creation with citizens and shop owners will shape the new design of public spaces, capturing diverse perspectives and fostering a sense of ownership and community pride. The selection of intervention locations will prioritise strategic convergence to amplify the overall impact, underscoring a commitment to inclusivity, transparency, and innovative solutions.

In the short term, the Living Lab aims to showcase improvements in urban mobility, such as reduced traffic congestion, increased sustainable transport usage, and enhanced safety for pedestrians and cyclists. Long-term impacts include integrating smart technologies in urban planning, improving air quality, and shifting towards a more connected and environmentally conscious city.

Ioannina

Greece

The Living Lab of Ioannina aims to establish a platform connecting local authorities, citizens, cultural clubs, neighbourhood groups, and private companies, fostering a new ecosystem for interaction and experimentation. Central to this initiative is the promotion of sustainable mobility, specifically through the design and implementation of a common-use e-bike system and its docks.

The geographic focus extends from the city centre, encompassing urban activities, to the lake waterfront, which includes leisure, tourism, and sports activities. The Living Lab aims to co-design the municipal e-bike system, focusing on the optimal placement of e-bike docks considering land use, population density, and usability. It also aims to design bike lanes connecting the city centre to the lake waterfront and address safety issues related to bike mobility. To achieve these objectives, the Ioannina Living Lab will organize meetings with small teams to address specific issues and larger meetings to familiarize all stakeholders with the project’s aims. Data will be collected through questionnaires and on-the-spot interviews to understand the real needs of the city. In the short term, the Living Lab aims to identify major mobility issues and relate them to the shared e-bike system. In the long term, it will participate in technical and land use planning to co-design the final solution. This initiative aligns with goals for reducing traffic, improving air quality, enhancing urban life quality, and supporting climate neutrality. The ultimate aim is to create a shared vision for sustainable mobility, foster a sense of ownership among stakeholders, and ensure the successful implementation of the proposed solutions.

Liberec

Czech Republic

The Liberec Living Lab focuses on addressing a specific aspect of the broader challenge of inadequate infrastructure for sustainable mobility, crucial for the city to achieve its climate commitments. The project targets parking issues within housing estates as a pilot initiative in Liberec. These estates, typical of many urban areas, suffer from insufficient parking capacity, which poses safety concerns and hinders accessibility for all road users, including pedestrians and cyclists. Moreover, the lack of proper infrastructure for electromobility exacerbates reliance on private cars, going against the city's goal of climate neutrality.

The primary objective of the Liberec Living Lab is to enhance traffic safety in housing estates while promoting sustainable mobility citywide, thereby supporting Liberec's climate goals. Key outputs include implementing technical solutions such as vehicle plate detection and sensors to monitor parking space occupancy and turnover. This data will inform the establishment of effective parking regulations and facilitate the redesign of public spaces to accommodate electromobility and improve overall traffic flow. Methodologically, the Living Lab proposes a blend of technical solutions, such as Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and sensors, alongside community engagement strategies. Public participation through interviews, public hearings, and civic forums will ensure that the parking regulations are widely accepted by residents and endorsed by city officials. In the short term, the Living Lab aims to reduce vehicle trips within housing estates, establish effective parking regulations, develop electromobility infrastructure, and redesign public spaces to prioritize non-car traffic. Looking ahead, its long-term goals include enhancing traffic safety, reducing emissions and air pollution, and increasing the use of sustainable transportation modes throughout the city.

Lund

Sweden

The Lund Living Lab represents a pivotal initiative aimed at reshaping urban mobility within the city's historic core, driven by the goals of enhancing safety, livability, and sustainability. By leveraging insights and data generated through the Living Lab, Lund seeks to make informed decisions that not only improve the quality of urban life but also advance its ambitions of achieving net-zero emissions. Key objectives include the reduction of car traffic in specified areas, the promotion of eco-friendly transportation options such as cycling, the establishment of car-free zones to enrich urban experiences, and the mitigation of CO2 and other harmful emissions stemming from transportation activities.

The Lab will do so through real-time traffic data analytics to gain a comprehensive understanding of transportation dynamics. It will experiment with transforming urban streets into pedestrian and cycling zones during designated periods, closely analyzing the resulting impacts. Additionally, Lund will collaborate with partner cities to replicate successful interventions and deploy an integrated data platform designed for seamless information sharing across the broader ELABORATOR project. In the short term, the Living Lab aims to create safer environments and foster greater adoption of sustainable transport modes among residents and visitors. Looking ahead, its long-term objectives envision a cityscape characterized by sustainable urban mobility solutions that significantly reduce emissions and enhance overall environmental quality. Ultimately, the Living Lab aligns closely with Lund's strategic vision of fostering a more inviting, sustainable, and resilient urban environment for future generations.