The URBANAGE project aims to enhance inclusivity in urban planning through disruptive technologies like AI, big data, and digital twins. It is a 3-year, €3.7 million project involving 12 partners from 6 European countries and 3 cities. The main challenges are adapting cities to current needs using complex data and ensuring technologies don't exclude vulnerable groups like older adults. The project will study how to leverage technologies for decision-making, create age-friendly environments, and engage stakeholders. It will develop an ecosystem of tools integrating technologies to support planning and validate it in the 3 cities.

1. URBANAGE challenges and objectives: using disruptive
technologies to enhance inclusivity of urban planning
processes
Patricia Molina
Urban Transformation Lab, Lead Researcher, Tecnalia
Grant Agreement n. 101004590

2. Grant Agreement n. 101004590
Enhanced URBAN planning for AGE-friendly cities
through disruptive technologies
12 partners from 6 European countries with an
excellent complementary background
3 European cities/regions
3 years project (02/2021 - 01/2024)
€ 3.7 million

3. Grant Agreement n. 101004590
MAIN CHALLENGES
• Adapting urban environments to current challenges requires a
multidisciplinary understanding of interrelated and complex
phenomena.
• There is enormous untapped potential in the use of disruptive
technologies to support evidence-based decision-making processes in
the field of urban planning:
• Artificial intelligence and Big Data analytics
• Urban digital twins
• Gamification
• There is a risk of excluding vulnerable population; in particular, older
adults, who are less digitally literate and might show distrust of
decisions and engagement based on technology.

4. Grant Agreement n. 101004590
RESEARCH TOPICS
Urban Planning and management in the Smart City era: How do we leverage the power of Big Data
analytics and AI simulation to tackle complexity and facilitate multi-stakeholder decision-making?
Age-friendly environments: How do we make sure older people are engaged and decisions help shape
friendlier environments for them?
Stakeholder engagement in decision-making and technology acceptance: How do we foster
engagement and measure acceptance, considering ethical challenges, while stimulating adoption of
disruptive technologies among public servants and older people?
Data management: How do we capture, fuse and cure data from various sources?
Intelligence- Algorithms & Simulations: What AI Techniques are better suited to enhance modelling and
scenario development for better decision making in urban planning and management?
Urban Digital Twin: How do we connect City Information Models to multiple data sources and AI
algorithms to develop scenarios?

5. Grant Agreement n. 101004590
MAIN OBJECTIVE
URBANAGE aims to assess the potential benefits, risks and impact of
implementing a long-term sustainable framework for data-driven
decision-making in the field of urban planning for aging well in cities,
by means of an engagement strategy with relevant stakeholders and
users, supported by disruptive technologies such as urban digital
twins, big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and gamification.

6. Grant Agreement n. 101004590
O1: To understand the implications (including potential benefits, risks, social impact and
acceptance) and requirements from the end-user’s perspectives (public servants and older
citizens) of using disruptive technologies for evidence-based decision-making and enhanced
governance in urban planning for age-friendly environments, including their ethical and legal
consequences.
O2: To integrate disruptive technologies such as urban digital twins, big data analysis and
artificial intelligence in an Ecosystem of tools designed to support public decision-making and
services provision in urban planning for age-friendly environments.
O3: To validate the URBANAGE Ecosystem in 3 use cases (Helsinki, Santander and Flanders
region), and evaluate its implementation with end-users to extract lessons for replication.
O4: To develop a viable business model to ensure the long-term sustainability of the
URBANAGE Ecosystem and tools and pave the way for market uptake.

7. Grant Agreement n. 101004590
Age-friendly environments
Analysis, modelling and simulation of physical conditions
for ageing well in cities: accessibility and safety in all areas
of the physical environment, including public spaces,
streets, public transport and housing, as well as the
location of public equipment and services or the access to
community services.

8. Grant Agreement n. 101004590
Urban planning and management
Data-based short-term
management and long-term
planning Support Systems,
with simulation capacities
and accessible interfaces to
inform and enable active
public participation in
decision making for age-
friendly cities.

9. Grant Agreement n. 101004590
Stakeholder engagement in decision-making
Co-creation strategy to:
 assess the potential benefits, risks, impact
and acceptance.
 Co-define challenges & solutions
Need to engage 2 target groups:
 Public servants
 Older citizens
Gamification techniques to involve older
adults.
Importance of ethic and legal consequences.

10. Grant Agreement n. 101004590
Data management
Intelligence- Algorithms & Simulations

11. Grant Agreement n. 101004590
Citizen
(Data providers and service beneficiaries)
Urban Planning
(City design, land use, etc.)
Physical Infrastructure
(Buildings, infrastructures, urban spaces, etc.)
Technical Infrastructure
(Lighting, communicationnetworks, sensors, etc.)
Data Sources Services
Modelling
& Mapping
Information
Retrieval
Policies
URBANAGE City Information Model
Service Dimensioning
Works in publicspace
Communicate& Inform
Planningalternatives
Geospatial
Analysis
Urban digital twin

12. Grant Agreement n. 101004590
• Accessibility facilities information
• Neighborhood assessment for Land Use Plan review
• No previous digital twin
• Large amount of data from people and city sensors
• Pilot in a municipality to be chosen
• Interest in management of obstacles on public areas
• Evaluation of services and equipment for the elderly population
• Previous digital twin of the region (DUET)
• Real-time information provided by citizens, active participation
• Application with accessibility map in real time
• Previous digital twin in the Kalatasama district, but it will be applied in
a reduced area, with high percentage of elderly population.
SANTANDER
Spain
FLANDERS
Belgium
HELSINKI
Finland
USE CASES

13. Grant Agreement n. 101004590

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patricia.molina@tecnalia.com