European Network 'METACITY' to Advance Digital Urban Services
A new URBACT IV action planning network named METACITY has been launched to help small and medium-sized European cities enhance their competitiveness using metaverse technologies and digital services. Coordinated by Åbo Akademi University, the project focuses on integrating digital twins and AI-powered planning. The initiative signals a push to mainstream advanced spatial analytics beyond major metropolitan centers.
- The METACITY network is funded under the URBACT IV programme, which will run until the end of 2025 with a total budget of approximately €850,000, of which the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and other instruments support the majority. Its partners include eight small to medium-sized cities such as Fundão (Portugal), Písek (Czech Republic), and Härnösand (Sweden), plus two research institutions. - The project's focus on digital twins aligns with the European Green Deal and the EU Nature Restoration Law, which promote digital technologies to support the development of Urban Nature Plans and help restore degraded ecosystems. Digital twins can provide data-driven insights for better green infrastructure planning by simulating scenarios and monitoring environmental parameters. - In the Netherlands, the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) is guiding local digital transformation through its "Digital Agenda 2028," which prioritizes using digitalization for societal issues like housing and climate. This agenda encourages collaboration and standardization to help municipalities manage the digital transition effectively. - Dutch research is actively exploring the validation of digital twins against legal frameworks, such as the new Environmental Act digital platform, which aims to integrate 22 sets of regulations into a single digital workflow. This work addresses the challenge of translating legal texts into accurate 3D simulations for urban design and policy assessment. - The Dutch government's focus on circular construction increasingly relies on digitalization through tools like the Madaster platform for digital material passports. This approach, which digitally documents materials to enable future reuse, is seen as indispensable for achieving national and EU circular economy goals. - Academic institutions in the Netherlands, such as TU Delft, are researching computational design and the use of AI-based models to improve building performance from the earliest design stages. This research supports the energy transition in existing buildings by digitizing the renovation process. - Generative AI is already being tested in Dutch urban planning, with the City of Amsterdam and AMS Institute exploring its use for scenario modeling and speeding up workflows in the city's phased development process. However, this research also raises critical questions about maintaining local character and the ethics of data privacy. - Concrete applications of digital twins are emerging in Dutch cities, such as the LOKET project in Den Bosch, which uses a digital twin to optimize construction logistics. The model visualizes material flows, traffic, and calculates environmental impacts like CO2 emissions to make construction in dense urban areas more efficient and sustainable.
