Europe and North Africa have known rapid and unprecedented urbanisation in recent years, with respectively 70% and 78% of their population currently living in cities. Factors such as climate change, inequalities and conflict have contributed to these movements.
Rapid growth and lack of evidence-based informed decisions have worsened the liveability in cities, especially in emerging countries. Addressing this issue and supporting the UN SDG 11 of making cities safe, resilient and sustainable, UDENE will create a virtual laboratory (the Exploration tool) for urban planners and visionaries to test and validate their development ideas. The Exploration tool will be complemented by the Matchmaking Tool to connect end-users to relevant products, solutions, services and applications from the European space sector and promote the uptake of European space-based offers and competencies.
Funded through HORIZON Europe, UDENE kicked off last February 2024 in Ankara (Turkey) and will last until January 2026. The project gathers 9 partners, from 6 countries including France, Italy, Tunisia, Turkey, Serbia, and Slovenia, determined to build sustainable urban environments and address the challenges posed by increasing urbanisation and the effects of climate change.