URBANOS - URBAN Operating Systems for Data-Driven Local Economies

The project idea addresses a growing challenge faced by many small and medium-sized European cities: the decline of traditional city centres due to structural economic changes, digital transition, changing consumption patterns, and increasingly fragmented urban development. While many cities already have urban regeneration or city-centre development strategies in place, a significant gap remains between strategic planning and practical implementation.

The project aims to support cities in moving from strategy design to operational urban management by developing data-driven tools, governance models, and digital solutions for local economies and city-centre management.

The main policy entry point is sustainable urban development, with a particular focus on revitalising city centres through integrated management approaches that combine economic development, mobility, culture, tourism, community life, and stakeholder cooperation. The project builds on the concept of “Urban Hubs as Local Operating Systems”, where city centres are managed as interconnected ecosystems supported by data, digital platforms, and AI-based decision-making tools.

The ambition of the network is to help partner cities develop and test practical implementation tools, including urban data monitoring systems, loyalty schemes, digital platforms, governance models, and AI-supported urban management solutions. The project also seeks to strengthen collaboration between public authorities, local businesses, and other stakeholders through place-based governance approaches.

At European level, the project aims to contribute to a new generation of urban policies that move beyond traditional regeneration strategies toward integrated, data-driven urban management systems for resilient and attractive local economies.