The Challenge
Athens is one of Europe’s most climate-vulnerable metropolitan areas. Home to more than 640,000 residents, the city faces increasingly frequent heatwaves, urban heat island effects, air pollution, and traffic congestion. These environmental pressures affect quality of life, place additional burdens on vulnerable communities, and highlight the need for more effective and data-driven urban planning.
The city has already taken important steps through its climate resilience strategies, Climate City Contract, Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan, and Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan. These initiatives aim to reduce emissions, improve energy performance in buildings, promote sustainable transport, expand urban greening, and strengthen climate adaptation. However, assessing the combined impact of these measures and identifying the most effective pathways towards climate neutrality remains a significant challenge.
What GENeCITY will do
GENeCITY will help Athens better understand, monitor, and address urban climate challenges through a combination of environmental data, digital city models, artificial intelligence, and citizen participation.
The pilot will expand the city's environmental monitoring capacity by integrating real-time air quality measurements, temperature and humidity monitoring, and a wide range of urban datasets covering buildings, road networks, socio-demographic characteristics, and energy use. These data will feed into a Local Digital Twin—a dynamic digital representation of Athens that reflects current conditions across the city.
Using this Digital Twin, city planners and stakeholders will be able to test different “what-if” scenarios and evaluate the potential impact of interventions before they are implemented. These simulations will explore approaches such as urban greening, traffic reduction, sustainable mobility solutions, air quality improvements, and measures to reduce heat stress.
GENeCITY will also place citizens and local stakeholders at the centre of the planning process. Workshops, focus groups, and collaborative activities will help ensure that future scenarios reflect local priorities and experiences. At the same time, municipal staff and urban planners will be trained in the use of Digital Twin technologies and AI-supported planning tools, strengthening the city's capacity to make informed and evidence-based decisions.
Expected Results
The Athens pilot will demonstrate how digital innovation can support more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive urban planning. The project aims to engage more than citizens, civil society organisations, and policymakers and municipal staff in the co-design of future climate actions.
The pilot will deliver an enhanced environmental monitoring network, real-time air quality integration, and an operational Local Digital Twin capable of supporting scenario-based urban planning. These tools will help Athens evaluate strategies for reducing heat stress, improving air quality, lowering emissions, and easing traffic congestion.
The knowledge, methods, and digital solutions developed in Athens will also be transferred to the replicator cities of Kalamata, Palaio Faliro, and South Kynouria, helping other Greek municipalities accelerate their own climate transition journeys. Through this approach, Athens will serve as a living laboratory for scalable climate solutions that can be adapted across Mediterranean cities facing similar challenges.
Partners
