Many cities are developing semantic 3D models as digital representation of their environment to assess the outcomes of the implementation of new mobility services before their real-life piloting. So far, digital twins have reinforced evidence-based approaches for policy-making. The purpose of this paper is to present how digital twins can be used as a tool for vulnerable citizen engagement, improving efficiency of co-creation in mobility planning. An innovative methodological approach of integrating digital twins in engagement processes, by transforming them from real-time data-driven replicas, targeted to the facilitation of the decision-making process for the public authorities to a tool for enhancing citizen engagement in the mobility context has been developed and tested in Thessaloniki Smart Mobility Living Lab. Through a 3-steps workshops’ approach, the mobility needs set by vulnerable users are collected, prioritized and matched with policy plans. By combining citizens feedback with real-time data incorporated in digital twins, citizens receive back visualized scenarios of the impact of specific mobility measures on their neighborhoods. By lifting the citizen engagement in mobility planning to the next participatory level, the results of the study create a bridge between participatory processes and digital twins.

Although behavioural nudging has been often used as a method to promote sustainable choices, its application is quite limited in the field of active mobility. Gamification and rewarding schemes appeared recently in mobility sector to nudge urban cycling. The scheme presented in this paper was based on a TRL9 antifraud system to certify, monitor, and reward urban bike rides in in 3 different cities during 2022. About 1,500 users were engaged in Braga, Istanbul, and Tallinn, saving more than 133 tons of CO2 in 6 months, and spending more than 85,000 euros in local shops. The paper presents the quantitative (KPIs based) and qualitative (users questionnaires based) assessment as well as the additional data analysis results that were carried out during the scheme testing. The correlation between trip, weather and socio-demographic data provided valuable knowledge that can be used to target vulnerable groups and to enhance the cycling incentives for bad weather days. The knowledge extracted can be integrated into the climate neutral strategies of the transition cities/regions for designing and implementing more efficient future actions and investments to successfully promote greener and more active mobility, ensuring high levels of cycling throughout the year.

Peri-urban areas face a series of complex challenges that hinder their transition towards climate neutrality. One of the primary obstacles is the strong dependence on city-led strategies, which are often shaped by current administrative structures, budgetary constraints, and fluctuating political agendas. Through a multi-level governance, the Transition Super Living Lab (TSLL) approach is implemented in five peri-urban areas in Antwerp-Rotterdam, Milan metropolitan region, Alicante- Elche Functional Area, Epirus-Ioannina region and Lisbon metropolitan region, providing a new cross-sectoral model to support them on achieving the change towards climate neutrality through innovation and digitalization. The TSLLs implement targeted interventions addressing four key innovation axes: sustainable mobility, decarbonized energy systems, zero-pollution industry, and cross-sectoral governance. To support this systemic transformation, a set of cutting-edge and data-driven innovations such as AI-driven and CO2 led traffic corridors management system, real time demand management system, Energy Community EV sharing platform, Demand-Response energy management system for industry and peri-urban PT decision support tool are implemented. These data-driven solutions will optimize transportation networks, decarbonize energy grids, enhance governance structures, and improve industrial sustainability of peri-urban areas positioning them as key drivers of systemic change in Europe’s climate-neutral future.

Cities are under increasing pressure from rapid urbanization, rising mobility and energy demands, and the need for climate-neutral solutions to efficiently design and manage urban space. Critical challenges of urban spaces are related to space scarcity, mobility and energy efficiency and sustainability. Based on pre-existing mobility and energy innovations specialized in citizens driven co-creation and urban space design, a set of adaptable digital and physical tools that integrate AI, Digital Twins, and participatory planning to optimize urban space use and support climate neutrality are developed and implemented in Living Labs in ten European cities. Thessaloniki’s Living lab integrates advanced digital tools (e.g. AI-assisted planning, Digital Twins) and innovative strategies for urban space reallocation and dynamic curbside management to enable city to manage urban space, optimize mobility infrastructure, increase energy efficiency and enhance urban resilience. Through cross-sectorial collaboration between public authorities, citizens, academy and industry partners, Thessaloniki is testing 4 suites of tools related to a) rethinking & reimaging space, b) urban design and revitalisation, c) Digital twins and dataspaces and d) dynamic management of space to ensure evidence-based decision-making for sustainable urban transition, aligned with the EU Green Deal and its Climate Neutrality goals.