Cooler cities, cleaner air: turning virtual models into urban solutions Climate change presents an escalating threat to urban environments, where heat and poor air quality increasingly jeopardise citizen health and well-being. To address these complex challenges, the EU-funded UrbanAIR(opens in new window) project is developing a digital twin framework designed to help municipalities and industries test different interventions before they are implemented. Its goal is to bridge the gap between global climate data and local urban decision-making. In this way, it will support city leaders in improving the well-being of citizens impacted by climate change. A unique triple approach Each UrbanAIR digital twin focuses on three areas. First, the project downscales global atmospheric models to the street level, providing highly localised forecasts. Second, it analyses citizens’ behaviour to understand how residents respond to heat stress and pollution. Third, it evaluates both human and natural criteria to support holistic urban planning. “That makes the project not only challenging but also unique,” states Femke Vossepoel, professor at UrbanAIR coordinator Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands, in a news item(opens in new window) posted on ‘SustainabilityOnline’. By simulating intervention scenarios before they are implemented, urban decision-makers can test how effective measures such as urban greening, zoning changes and infrastructure investments are without risking real-world resources. The project distinguishes between ‘Action Cities’ and ‘Learning Cities’ to ensure practical applicability. Antwerp and Barcelona serve as the former, where technologies are tested and refined in live urban environments. Meanwhile, Bristol, Paris and Rotterdam act as the latter, facilitating the transfer of lessons across diverse urban contexts. This structure ensures that solutions are not merely theoretical but stress-tested against real-world constraints and needs. Lessons learnt At the 13th European Urban Resilience Forum held in June 2026, UrbanAIR organised a workshop(opens in new window) together with the EU