The article examines the impact of the virtual public sphere on how urban spaces are experienced and conceived in our data-driven society. It places particular emphasis on urban scale digital twins, which are virtual replicas of cities that are used to simulate environments and develop scenarios in response to policy problems. The article also investigates the shift from the technical to the socio-technical perspective within the field of smart cities.

The world is going through a transformative journey and so are cities. As centers of innovation and shared prosperity, cities are where the future happens first, hence envisioning the Future of Cities is anticipating the future of human living.

Cities are complex systems connected to economic, ecological, and demographic conditions and change. They are also characterized by diverging perceptions and interests of citizens and stakeholders. Thus, in the arena of urban planning, we are in need of approaches that are able to cope not only with urban complexity but also allow for participatory and collaborative processes to empower citizens. This to create democratic cities.

Course details

Sophie Meszaros presented “Trustworthy Urban Digital Twins” a collaboration between IMEC and SMIT, whom did research around the topics: Mobility, Logistics, Air quality, Noise quality, Sustainability and Infrastructure (e.g.: subsidized group renovations) in the model of Urban Digital Twin. Sophie proceed to explain the concept of initial transformation that occurs when the experts and the public servents start discussing on what is relevant or not and the different points of view collide.

In this masterclass, Asier Gutiérrez, researcher in the Life Sciences department of the BSC-CNS, will invite the public to learn about the latest advances in Algebraic Topology applied to Neural Networks.

A wide audience, will not go into complex mathematical principles, technicalities or references to articles that might be difficult to understand. Thus, it will focus on explaining the latest developments in the referred areas and the range of possibilities from a practical standpoint, which will be accessible to all attendees.

Encourages the sharing or joint development of IT solutions across EU public administrations, adressing legal, organisational, and technical barriers. Fosters interoperability and cost savings. It is an EC solution.

In the framework of Horizon Europe, the European Union Programme for Research and Innovation (2021-2027), the European Commission launched the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, aiming to establish 100 Living Labs and Lighthouses to drive the transition to healthy soils by 2030.