With beginning of the new year 2025, the Urban Sky project started. Led by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, and in collaboration with Tech Meets Legal and Joanneum Research, we are exploring innovative ways for sustainable urban development. The project is funded under the FFG call “Technologies and Innovations for Climate-Neutral Cities (TIKS) 2024 – Urban System Innovations” and will run for 18 months until the end of June 2026.
Cities and municipalities are at the center of the project. With climate change, they face major challenges in urban and neighborhood development, mobility, and energy planning. As pioneers of the energy and mobility transition towards climate neutrality, they need analysis, planning, and decision-making tools that provide relevant data for prioritizing and justifying necessary measures and actions.
Through the involvement of identified stakeholders, Urban Sky will conduct a needs and potential analysis to assess the various applications of satellite data and services for urban analysis, planning, and development. Additionally, the project will evaluate the legal and regulatory frameworks and provide recommendations for necessary adjustments.
Based on this, concepts for satellite-based services in energy planning, urban development, neighborhood planning, and mobility will be developed in cooperation with stakeholders. The project will also investigate ways to improve data accuracy and update frequency, expand spatial coverage, and explore new thematic applications. Furthermore, it will assess the legal framework and the use of cloud technologies for data processing.
Urban Sky will also examine how satellite-based tools can enhance current urban planning instruments, such as land use plans. The focus will be on integrating satellite applications, especially COPERNICUS land monitoring services, to address topics such as land use, energy planning, and the identification of unused urban or natural heat sources. The project aims to collect and refine innovative ideas, evaluate their feasibility, and develop recommendations for future implementation. The results will include an assessment of the added value for cities, market potential, and research needs, leading to a categorization and prioritization of services.
A key aspect of Urban Sky is the ongoing dissemination of project progress and results. Stakeholders and associated partners will be informed directly through our innovation lab, the Vienna Geospace Hub. Other interested parties will be reached through information materials, scientific publications, presentations at conferences, and events. Potential users will be encouraged to implement the developed services and explore opportunities for follow-up projects.
One of the key results of Urban Sky will be a study on the potential of satellite technology, analyzing existing satellite applications in cities (both nationally and internationally) and evaluating their compatibility with current geodata sources. The study will also include a review of laws and regulations, recommendations for action, the development of 10 future applications, and a Space4Cities roadmap for direct implementation or as a basis for further research and innovation activities.
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