The Challenge
Amersfoort is committed to becoming climate-neutral by 2050 and is actively working to reduce emissions, improve air quality, support sustainable mobility, and strengthen climate resilience. As the city grows, planners must balance housing, mobility, health, safety, and environmental objectives while making the best use of limited space.
The city has already developed a Healthy Urban Development Digital Twin to help assess factors such as air quality, noise, green spaces, climate adaptation, and public health. However, evaluating the combined impacts of different policies and development options remains complex. Amersfoort needs more advanced tools that can connect policy objectives with measurable outcomes and help decision-makers understand the long-term effects of different planning choices.
What GENeCITY will do
GENeCITY will enhance Amersfoort’s existing Digital Twin by introducing advanced analysis, scenario modelling, and artificial intelligence capabilities. The project will help translate city strategies and policy documents into measurable indicators that can be monitored and evaluated over time.
Using the GENeCITY platform, planners will explore different future scenarios related to air pollution, heat stress, drought, urban greening, public health, and noise reduction. Artificial intelligence will support the creation and comparison of alternative urban development options, helping stakeholders understand how different interventions may influence quality of life and environmental performance.
The pilot will be applied in the Earth Valley Innovation District, where local planners, policymakers, project leaders, and citizens will use the Digital Twin to assess future developments and test potential solutions. Interactive visualisations and explainable insights will support more transparent and informed decision-making throughout the planning process.
Expected Results
The Amersfoort pilot will demonstrate how Digital Twins and artificial intelligence can strengthen urban planning by connecting climate, health, and quality-of-life objectives. Urban planners, policy advisors, project leaders, decision-makers, and citizens are expected to participate in pilot activities and contribute to future planning scenarios.
The project will deliver an enhanced Local Digital Twin, a generative planning tool, and a policy validation engine capable of translating urban strategies into measurable indicators and future scenarios. These tools will help stakeholders better understand the impacts of planning decisions and support healthier, safer, and more climate-resilient urban development.
The solutions developed in Amersfoort will also be shared with the replicator cities of Eindhoven, Nieuwegein, and Oostende, helping other medium-sized cities apply similar approaches to climate adaptation and sustainable urban planning.
Partners
