CitiObs will consolidate and apply tools and practice-based knowledge for co-creating data, knowledge and local action via Citizen Observatories (COs): these tools will enhance existing and new citizen observatories to engage citizens and marginalised communities, add value to environmental observations in the urban context, increase and validate citizen observations of the urban environment as part of the existing in-situ Earth Observation systems, co-create inclusive local actions for sustainability and ensure that CO data contributes to research and policy development towards the objectives of the European Green Deal. To ensure broad use, the CitiObs tools and approaches will be developed in co-creation with COs in 5 Frontrunner cities, finetuned with 30 Implementer cities and showcased to 50 Fellow cities. The pressure on cities to speed up the process of emissions reduction from pollutants and climate gases is overwhelming. The required measures are likely to be found not only in technological development but also in the required social transformations. Theseis transformations includes increasing citizen involvement and engagement with science and policy, increasing awareness of the underlying issues and promoting societal actions to protect the urban environment. Technological innovations need to be considered within the context of multi-level vertical and horizontal governance structures where citizen participation is recognized and included. CitiObs will support citizen observatories in distinct cities to create/enhance/or scale up inclusive and diverse citizen observatories, fostering in particular an active role of citizens in the observation of the urban environment using low-cost sensor technologies and wearables, with a particular focus on air quality and related environmental measures. CitiObs will formalise, valorise and legitimise the role of citizen observations.

DivAirCity “recognizes, accepts and celebratesDivAirCity is an ambitious project that aims at shifting the urban paradigm by valuing human diversity (with a focus on gender and multiculturalism) as a resource to define new urban services and models towards cultural-driven green cities. The project focuses on the Urban nexus that combines people, places, peace, economic growth, climate robustness and its impact on Air quality and decarbonization. DivAirCity, through citizen science and creativity will co-design solutions and trace their impact in a transparent and safe way. The project involves 5 EU cities representing replicable case studies: Orvieto (IT), Castellon (SP), Potsdam (D), Aarhus (DK) and Bucharest (RO). DivAirCity aims at creating different solutions: 5 Permanent Living Labs (PLL), 1 Diversity and Inclusion green city index (DIGCI), 5 Smart Cities Climate contracts (SCCo), 1 Community of Practice (CoP), 5 air pollution mitigation services, and 1 EU protocol for decarbonization diagnosis. The PLLs will implement NBS by leveraging over 55 mio budget already allocated by the cities; the DIGCI aims at assessing diversity and decarbonisation strategies; the SCCos will be delivered by co-designing new business models supported by blockchain technologies; the CoP will include the full urban ecosystem; and the air pollution new services have the ambition to enter in the market. DivAirCity presents a project beyond EU borders with an ambitious international dissemination strategy beyond Europe by the involvement of Belmont Forum CRAs, key international networks and H2020 funded projects. The consortium represents a mix of stakeholders selected out of the usual only research-focused organizations, to provide a real route-to-market, with the ambition to bring the project outcomes on the market by the end of the project. DivAirCity visibility will be enhanced by the participation of the Belgian National TV (RTBF) and its associated European and Global channels.