The European Living Lab on designing sustainable urban mobility towards climate-neutral cities (ELABORATOR) project involves making transport in the city safer and more sustainable than before by developing the planning process and resident participation. Helsinki is focusing particularly on digital solutions to improve traffic safety.
Objectives
ELABORATOR is the European Living Lab on designing sustainable urban mobility towards climate-neutral cities. We use a holistic approach for planning, designing, implementing and deploying specific innovations and interventions towards safe, inclusive and sustainable urban mobility. These interventions consist of smart enforcement tools, space redesign and dynamic allocation, shared services, and integration of active and green modes of transportation.
They will be specifically co-designed and co-created with identified “vulnerable to exclusion” user groups, local authorities and relevant stakeholders. The interventions will be demonstrated in a number of cities across Europe, starting with six Lighthouse cities and six Follower cities.
The objective of the work is to:
- develop climate-neutral cities and safe mobility by collecting, assessing and analysing the needs and requirements of the users
- share information between cities and promote the commissioning of innovations
- create instructions, methods and plans for service providers and city planners regarding developing safe and participatory mobility.
The project involves carrying out measures in 12 cities across Europe. They will be planned together with vulnerable user groups, local authorities and relevant stakeholders.
The ELABORATOR project is led by the pioneering ‘lighthouse cities’ of Milan (Italy), Copenhagen (Denmark), Helsinki (Finland), Issy-les-Moulineaux (France), Zaragoza (Spain) and Trikala (Greece).
The lighthouse cities provide new information to the ‘follower cities’ of Lund (Sweden), Liberec (Czech Republic), Velenje (Slovenia), Ioannina (Greece), Split (Croatia) and Krusevac (Serbia).
Duration, partners, funding and total budget
- The project will be carried out in 2023–2026 (1 June 2023 – 30 November 2026).
- The project involves 38 partners from 14 EU countries. The Finnish partners consist of Forum Virium Helsinki and VTT.
- The project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation funding programme. The total budget is €12,387,260, of which Forum Virium Helsinki’s share is €517,500.
Benefits for Helsinki
The objective of the ELABORATOR project is to promote traffic safety in Helsinki. The project supports the long-term objectives of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) and Helsinki’s traffic safety development programme. Their objective is to reduce the number of traffic deaths and injuries and increase the safety of transport.
The role of Forum Virium Helsinki
Forum Virium Helsinki serves as the coordinator of the Helsinki pilot in the project and the planner and facilitator of the measures to be carried out in Helsinki. The measures included in the project will be carried out primarily in 2024–2026.
The purpose is to:
- test new solutions for collecting, visualising and analysing accident-related information by utilising 3D models and Helsinki’s digital twin. The project pays special attention to accidents involving shared-use bicycles and electric scooters. More detailed information can be used to influence the City’s traffic safety measures and instructions issued to light electric vehicle service providers
- pilot innovative ways to optimise dynamic space relocation for shared mobility services
- utilise AI and digital twins to improve traffic safety, for example by using 3D models, camera-based observation at accident-prone intersections and a real-time system that warns vulnerable road users of approaching vehicles
- utilise Helsinki’s digital twin and participatory platforms to collect observations regarding mobility and people’s perception of traffic safety by engaging people with mobility impairments, pedestrians, cyclists, children and the elderly.
Sustainability
The ELABORATOR project focuses on road users in a vulnerable position. The project promotes responsibility by developing sustainable and safe mobility, engaging a wide range of stakeholders in the planning work and sharing information about good practices at the city level and between cities alike.
We are the Horizon EU European Living Lab on designing sustainable urban mobility towards climate-neutral cities.
Project channels
The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101103772.