How can cities make citizens not just observers, but active participants in shaping the urban future? Enter x-CITE (Expanding the Experience of Citizens through Extended Reality), a new European project co-funded by the Digital Europe Programme. With a budget of €6.49 million and 11 partners across Belgium, Finland and the Netherlands, x-CITE is developing immersive tools to make urban policies and plans visible, tangible and participatory.
At the heart of x-CITE is the CitiVerse: a human-centred virtual twin of the city, designed for real-world use. Over the next 30 months, pilot activities will take place in Flanders, Rotterdam, and Tampere, empowering citizens to explore, understand, and directly influence urban transformations through 3D experiences, augmented reality, and digital storytelling.
From making environmental reports visually accessible in Flanders, to reimagining public participation in Rotterdam’s urban planning, and bringing Tampere’s cultural heritage to life through virtual storytelling, x-CITE shows how extended reality can drive inclusion, transparency, and civic engagement.
Read the full press release here.
