As part of the organizing committee, our team helped to foster valuable dialogues on the pressures that urbanization places on public spaces and the associated mobility challenges, all contributing to a successful event.
Addressing urbanization and mobility challenges
Rapid urbanization is creating increasingly crowded public spaces, heightening the urgency for solutions that can improve how cities manage these areas. To address these issues, AMS Institute hosted two dedicated sessions tied to the DRO-DMI project, a consortium focused on using digital tools to support more effective public space management. Each session offered unique insights into leveraging data-driven tools to empower urban planners in tackling congestion and enhancing urban walkability.
Session one: Empowering urban planning professionals
Our first session introduced urban planning professionals to the work we’re undertaking in collaboration with the DRO-DMI Consortium. AMS Institute’s Program Developer, Marte Bugel, highlighted the vital role our team plays in facilitating a Proof of Concept (PoC) Fund, a mechanism designed to accelerate knowledge-sharing between research and practice.
“A Proof of Concept (PoC) is a short project used to verify that specific concepts or theories can be applied in real-world contexts.”
Marte Bugel
Through this PoC Fund, we enable urban stakeholders to pilot prototypes that provide immediate feedback on their practical value. By connecting research insights directly with field applications, we aim to fast-track innovation and foster data-driven solutions that address real-world challenges in public space management.
Vasileios presenting the CTWalks tool to workshop participants
Session two: Workshop on walkability and digital tools
The second session, led by one of our researchers, Vasileios Milias, offered a hands-on workshop showcasing the CTWalks tool. This innovative tool assesses walkability by measuring and visualizing public space usability and access. Engaging city planners and consortium partners, the workshop examined the tool’s effectiveness and its potential to help urban stakeholders understand pedestrian accessibility.
Part of the broader “X-min Cities: Pedestrian Accessibility and Digital Tools” workshop at the conference, this session encouraged participants to test the CTWalks tool and discuss its adaptability to meet the specific needs of urban planning professionals. The feedback gathered will guide further development, ensuring that tools like CTWalks can provide the detailed analytics and visualizations needed to meet diverse urban planning goals.
“These tools can offer sophisticated measures, powerful visualizations, and analytics that help planners better understand the complexities of urban environments.”
Vasileios Milias
What’s next?
Our sessions at Urbanism Next Europe underscored the importance of collaborative knowledge-sharing and community input in developing impactful urban solutions. We’re excited to apply the insights gained at the conference to refine the DRO-DMI project and our Proof of Concept initiatives.
Want to explore how cities like Amsterdam, Almere, and Groningen address public space management through innovative digital tools? Visit the DRO-DMI website to learn more about our work and the DRO-DMI project’s impact on urban mobility and public space management across the Netherlands.
