On 27–28 May 2025, our partners Jurgen Silence (Digital Flanders) and Seppo Haataja (OASC) had the pleasure of attending the IMAGINE the Citiverse 2025 conference in Tampere, Finland, a city renowned for integrating Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) into its urban development agenda.
Sustainability and urban resilience were major themes throughout the conference, aligning closely with the objectives of the URBREATH project. The event facilitated high-value exchanges with academic researchers from the Universities of Tampere and Helsinki, as well as representatives from EU-funded projects including Innature and x-CITE.
Key topics discussed included:
The role of local living labs in fostering participatory urban planning
Urban climate modelling with an emphasis on heat stress forecasting
Metrics for assessing biodiversity, particularly regarding pollinator populations
Traffic flow modelling based on open sensor data and interoperable digital platforms
Integrating NBS into urban strategies addressing heat stress and flood risk
The necessity of open standards and semantic interoperability for scaling digital urban solutions
During the conference, Jurgen and Seppo presented ongoing URBREATH work, with a special focus on NBS initiatives in Kajaani, located 470 km north of Tampere.
One of the most technically compelling demonstrations featured emission-free, autonomous aerial drones, designed for high-resolution urban scanning. These drone systems collected 3D point cloud data at an altitude of approximately 100 meters, facilitating the generation of detailed digital urban models. It was amazing to experience the results first-hand: using VR goggles, Jurgen and Seppo explored the digital city, zooming in, rotating, and even virtually “grabbing” sections of the scanned areas to dive deeper. A true moment where digital twin tech meets hands-on urban innovation.
A noteworthy insight concerned the contextual variability of urban heat islands (UHIs). In colder climates like Tampere, UHIs may confer net-positive effects by reducing building heating demand, improving thermal comfort in outdoor spaces, and mitigating cold-related health risks. A refreshing reminder that context matters when designing for climate resilience.
Overall, the IMAGINE the Citiverse 2025 conference provided an inspiring platform for exchanging ideas, sparking collaboration, and raising awareness about the impact of digital and nature-based innovations in urban environments. The URBREATH delegation returns energised and full of ideas for what’s next!
On 27–28 May 2025, our partners Jurgen Silence (Digital Flanders) and Seppo Haataja (OASC) had the pleasure of attending the IMAGINE the Citiverse 2025 conference in Tampere, Finland, a city renowned for integrating Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) into its urban development agenda.
Sustainability and urban resilience were major themes throughout the conference, aligning closely with the objectives of the URBREATH project. The event facilitated high-value exchanges with academic researchers from the Universities of Tampere and Helsinki, as well as representatives from EU-funded projects including Innature and x-CITE.
Key topics discussed included:
The role of local living labs in fostering participatory urban planning
Advanced NBS monitoring methodologies, leveraging calibrated IoT sensor networks
Urban climate modelling with an emphasis on heat stress forecasting
Metrics for assessing biodiversity, particularly regarding pollinator populations
Traffic flow modelling based on open sensor data and interoperable digital platforms
Integrating NBS into urban strategies addressing heat stress and flood risk
The necessity of open standards and semantic interoperability for scaling digital urban solutions
During the conference, Jurgen and Seppo presented ongoing URBREATH work, with a special focus on NBS initiatives in Kajaani, located 470 km north of Tampere.
One of the most technically compelling demonstrations featured emission-free, autonomous aerial drones, designed for high-resolution urban scanning. These drone systems collected 3D point cloud data at an altitude of approximately 100 meters, facilitating the generation of detailed digital urban models. It was amazing to experience the results first-hand: using VR goggles, Jurgen and Seppo explored the digital city, zooming in, rotating, and even virtually “grabbing” sections of the scanned areas to dive deeper. A true moment where digital twin tech meets hands-on urban innovation.
A noteworthy insight concerned the contextual variability of urban heat islands (UHIs). In colder climates like Tampere, UHIs may confer net-positive effects by reducing building heating demand, improving thermal comfort in outdoor spaces, and mitigating cold-related health risks. A refreshing reminder that context matters when designing for climate resilience.
Overall, the IMAGINE the Citiverse 2025 conference provided an inspiring platform for exchanging ideas, sparking collaboration, and raising awareness about the impact of digital and nature-based innovations in urban environments. The URBREATH delegation returns energised and full of ideas for what’s next!