The European project URBAN-FLOW aims to transform public spaces in the districts of La Torre, Horno de Alcedo, and Castellar-El Oliveral, which were affected by the DANA flooding event, into resilient and climate-adapted environments.
COORDINATOR
THE LISBON COUNCIL FOR ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS
BUDGET
Total: 17.164.557,88 €
VIC: 1.012.000 €
HORIZON EUROPE PROGRAMME
COUNTRIES
United Kingdom, Finland, Belgium, Italy, France, Greece, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, and Spain.
URBAN-FLOW
- URBAN-FLOW proposes to address these challenges by combining advanced digital solutions, social innovation, and transformative urban policies, with a strong focus on replicability and scaling in other European cities.
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The project will deploy a set of leading solutions in urban regeneration, climate-neutral mobility, sustainable energy, and water management. The pilot will be validated in the areas affected by the DANA in Valencia, as well as in Tampere (Finland) and Florence (Italy), with additional monitoring by four European follower cities: Brussels, Gdańsk, Plzeň, and Edinburgh.
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URBAN-FLOW is a European proposal aligned with the Horizon Europe Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. Its main objective is to accelerate the transition towards climate neutrality and urban resilience through integrated, dynamic, and data-driven management of public space, mobility, and energy in complex urban environments.
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The project is based on the recognition that cities are simultaneously facing extreme climate challenges, pressure on urban space, territorial inequalities, and the need for decarbonisation, all of which require new approaches to urban planning and governance.
Pilots in Valencia
The trigger for the project is the impact of recent flooding events, which have severely affected infrastructure, mobility, public space, and the socioeconomic fabric, especially in the southern districts of the city (La Torre, Horno de Alcedo, and Castellar-Oliveral).
Valencia proposes a reconstruction strategy that goes beyond repair, using the crisis as an opportunity to transform the urban model and strengthen its resilience to climate change.
The project is supported by significant public investment, combining municipal and state funds, and proposes a set of demonstration actions that integrate sustainable mobility, dynamic urban space management, energy, and climate adaptation. These include:
- Advanced tools for accessibility analysis and urban planning aligned with the 15-minute city concept.
- Dynamic public space management systems (geo-search tools, flexible use of road space and parking, curb-side management) adapted to extreme climate events.
- Urban energy solutions, including collective self-consumption, electrification of transport infrastructure, planning of decarbonised heating and cooling networks, and AI-supported energy advisory services.
- Implementation and monitoring of Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS), based on nature-based solutions, with evaluation of their medium- and long-term performance.
- Use of digital twins, the metaverse, and gamification to engage citizens, students, and professionals in the co-design of public space and mobility.
- Initiatives for participation, environmental education, and carbon footprint compensation, especially focused on neighbourhoods affected by flooding.
Overall, the Valencia demo site aims to become a replicable model of sustainable urban reconstruction, combining technological innovation, integrated planning, citizen participation, and climate-focused design, with potential for scaling and transfer to other European cities facing similar challenges.