Project lead: Local authorities

• Civil Society Organisation
• Private sector
• Research institution

How collaboration worked: Urbanage involded a multi-disciplinary team of experts in urban planning development, involving 12 partners from 6 European countries (Finland, Belgium, Italy, Greece, Spain and United Kingdom), following the following criteria : – Adequate level of manageability; – Balanced consortium between industry, and academia; – Relevant expertise in European research and innovation programmes and strong presence and knowledge in public sector; – Trans-European dimension and – A cross domain and complementary use cases providers to validate the URBANAGE outcomes. The coordination of the project have been taken by Engineering Ingegneria Informatica S.p.A. and the technical coordination by Tecnalia. All partners of the projects were working together through Work Packages and distribution of tasks, with milestones and KPIs to be reached during 3 years from January 2021 to January 2024. The project has been funded from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innnovation programme under grant agreement No 101004590.

Older people’s involvement: Older people were involved in the age-friendly practice at multiple or all stages

Details on older people’s involvement: Older adults were consulted and involved in the process of development of the digital tools (applications, IoT devices, web services, digital twins), taking their feedback into consideration to improve the usability of the tools and finally the decision making for more inclusive age-friendly cities.

Has the impact of this age-friendly practice been analysed: No

Do you plan to evaluate your age-friendly practice? Yes

Feedback:
Yes we received feedback from older adults in each pilot sites, Santander, Helsinki and the region of Flanders. These are explained in details below:

Expansion plans:
We have been working on lessons learned and pathways for replication. These are our recommendations at the end of the project to replicate the work done : Based on the comparative analysis of the impact assessment results, we list recommendations per categories of impact assessed. These recommendations can be useful to any other initiative implementing inclusive decision-making to shape urban planning through innovative technologies. TRUSTWORTHINESS Prioritize Robust Feedback Processes: Emphasize the importance of a robust feedback process in the development of digital tools. This includes ensuring that end-users are actively engaged in providing feedback throughout the development lifecycle and possibly also after delivery to sustain improvements and keep the tool or service valuable. Ensure Precise and Relevant Data: Highlight the need for precise and relevant data in digital tools. This involves a focus on data accuracy and its direct relevance to the users’ needs. Promote Real-Time Updates: Consider incorporating real-time updates into digital tools to enhance trustworthiness. This can include timestamping data updates, responding to the suggestion made in a Santander workshop. Empirical Verification of Information: Emphasize the importance of empirical verification of information to enhance trust. For example, confirming the physical presence of features, as indicated by the tool, can contribute to users’ confidence. Sustain Interaction for Trust Building: Acknowledge that sustained interaction with the tool is critical for developing a profound level of trust. Encourage continuous engagement to foster a lasting sense of reliability and confidence in the digital tools. Involve End-Users Actively: Actively involve end-users in the development process, as it has been identified as a pivotal element in building trust. Their active involvement not only cultivates trust but also enhances the likelihood of broader and sustained adoption. Adapt to Users’ Needs: Highlight the observation that products evolving in response to users’ specific needs strengthen trust. Encourage developers to remain responsive to feedback and adapt the tools accordingly. Monitor and Improve User Perceptions: Despite not observing major differences in perceptions across pilot sites, continuously monitor user perceptions and attitudes toward trustworthiness. Implement improvements as necessary based on user feedback to ensure sustained positive perceptions. Program trustworthiness in: Ensure the development team has a good understanding of what is necessary for trustworthiness and how this differs for each engaged group. Civil servants may for example need to advise decision makers and need to be ready to answer questions on certainty levels and compliance to legislation. Older adults will need to be able to depend on the results. INCLUSIVENESS Diversify Engagement Strategies: Emphasize the importance of diverse engagement strategies and feedback mechanisms to effectively understand and address the diverse needs of the older adult (OA) user base. Tailor these strategies to accommodate various preferences and circumstances. Personalization Options: Highlight the value of personalization options in digital tools. Encourage the integration of features such as adjustable font sizes and voice command functionalities to cater to the diverse needs and preferences of older adults. Recognize Varied Interests: Acknowledge the varied interests among older adults. For instance, in Flanders, recognizing that younger older persons may have different preferences than those with mobility concerns. Tailor features and services accordingly to address diverse interests. Challenge Ageist Biases: Address ageist biases that may hinder inclusivity. Work towards dispelling misconceptions that older adults are not valuable contributors to data-driven decision-making. Encourage initiatives that promote the active and effective involvement of older adults in decision-making processes and information collection. Create Efficient Communication Channels: Recognize the importance of efficient communication channels. In areas like Helsinki, where biases and insufficient communication channels exist, promote the development of platforms where the voices of older adults can be heard, particularly in relation to incident reporting. Address Digital Literacy Barriers: Acknowledge the barriers faced by less digitally literate older adults. Advocate for tailored training sessions to enhance digital literacy among both older adults and civil servants, ensuring that everyone can effectively engage with digital tools. Regional Variations in Digital Proficiency: Recognize regional variations in digital proficiency. Tailor strategies to address specific challenges faced by older adults in different regions. For example, consider alternative communication methods beyond digital platforms in areas with lower digital proficiency. Utilize Accepted Physical Devices: Consider the acceptance of physical devices in promoting inclusivity. In instances like Helsinki, where a physical device was well-accepted, explore similar solutions in other regions to ensure accessibility for a broader user base. Promote Inclusive Incident Reporting: Encourage the development of inclusive incident reporting mechanisms. Ensure that reporting platforms are accessible and user-friendly for older adults with varying levels of digital literacy. Regularly Evaluate and Update Training: Stress the need for continuous evaluation of training sessions. Regularly update and tailor training programs based on user feedback and evolving needs to maintain inclusivity in digital tool engagement. Ensure that digital tools, including smartphones, computers, and seamlessly integrated IT systems, along with digital services such as internet access and digital training, are accessible to all citizens. In cases where accessibility is a challenge, pilot sites should take proactive measures to guarantee that project participants have the necessary tools at their disposal. Emphasize the importance of human contact in navigating digital tools for both older adults (OA) and civil servants (CS). Avoid minimizing the time dedicated to defining participative methodologies and exploring diverse approaches, such as gamification. Actively involve communities to contribute to digital literacy initiatives, recognizing that pilot sites should collaborate rather than handling this issue in isolation. Integrate online participation methods with offline participation be careful not to perceive the digital tools as a means to replace non digital ones. OA and CS diverge in understanding, abilities and preferences, allow them a selection of participation alternatives to ensure all needs are met. EMPOWERMENT Leverage Existing Networks: Recognize the success in Santander and Flanders where participants engaged in educational courses and local councils, respectively. Leverage these existing networks when designing empowerment initiatives. Facilitate Participation in Educational Activities: Encourage the participation of older adults in educational courses and activities aimed at older demographics. This not only promotes empowerment through knowledge acquisition but also fosters a sense of engagement within the community. Promote Active Involvement in Local Governance: Encourage the active involvement of older adults in local councils, as observed in Flanders. This participation not only empowers older adults by giving them a platform for decision-making but also ensures their perspectives are considered in community initiatives. Encourage Proactive Outreach: Emphasize proactive outreach efforts to encourage the involvement of older adults. As contributing to projects may not be a standard practice for older adults, proactive communication and dissemination can ensure they are aware of opportunities for engagement and empowerment. Empower Civil Servants: Allow civil servants to clearly formulate their needs and give information on their current way of doing things. This will allow you to find common digital transformation possibilities and guarantee a heightened uptake in various CS functions. USER EXPERIENCE Implement Iterative Improvements: Adapt an iterative approach to development, incorporating continuous feedback loops. Implementing gradual improvements based on user input ensures that the tool evolves in response to changing user needs, contributing to a positive evolving user experience. Learn from Feedback Mechanisms: Acknowledge the value of feedback mechanisms in identifying issues that may not be initially apparent to developers. Use participant feedback to uncover nuances, such as complexities in the login process. PERCEIVED VALUE Address Concerns of Civil Servants: Recognize civil servants’ concerns about the use of digital tools and aim to address these concerns. Focus on creating modular systems, supporting data integration, and prioritizing open-source solutions to streamline the digital ecosystem and make tools more user-friendly. Streamline Workflows: Acknowledge the potential complexity digital tools may add to civil servants’ workflows. Therefore, emphasize the importance of creating systems that are modular and prioritize open-source solutions to streamline workflows and enhance efficiency. Highlight Unique Features: Emphasize unique features that distinguish the project from generic solutions. In the case of Santander, the tailored approach made the tool feel particularly relevant compared to more generic alternatives like Google Maps. Highlighting such distinctions can enhance the perceived value. Quality of Life Enhancement: Position the digital tools as potential catalyst for enhancing the quality of life of a broad group of citizens. Emphasize how the solutions provided contribute positively to the participants’ daily lives, emphasizing the tangible benefits and improvements associated with the project. Collect and Highlight Positive Evaluations: Actively collect and highlight favorablefavourable evaluations from participants. Positive feedback contributes significantly to the perceived value of the project. Share success stories and testimonials to reinforce the positive impact and value perceived by users. Engage in User Workshops: Continue engaging in user workshops to gather qualitative feedback. These sessions can provide valuable insights into users’ perspectives, needs, and desires, helping refine the project to better meet their expectations and increase perceived value. Continuous Improvement: Demonstrate a commitment to continuous improvement based on user feedback. This ensures that the project remains adaptive and relevant, addressing evolving needs and consistently enhancing its perceived value over time. ACCEPTANCE / ADOPTION Address Resistance to New Technology: Acknowledge the common issue of resistance to adopting new technology among civil servants (CS) and older adults (OA). Recognize the hesitation to transition from familiar tools, or risk aversion from adding innovative tools and develop strategies to address this resistance. Facilitate a Smooth Transition: Encourage a strategic approach to facilitate a smooth transition by providing adequate support during the integration process. This can include training sessions, user guides, and ongoing assistance to ensure users feel comfortable with the new tools. Allocate Time and Financial Resources: Stress the importance of municipalities investing sufficient time and financial resources to support the integration of new solutions. Adequate investment is vital for successful adoption, helping to streamline work processes and demonstrate commitment to innovation. Demonstrate Productivity Gains: Clearly demonstrate how the adoption of new tools can lead to productivity gains and improved service delivery. Providing concrete examples and success stories can motivate civil servants to embrace the change.

Reflections:
Please refer to the list of recommendations above, including the issues to be solves and taken into consideration when working on an initiative of inclusive urban planning decisions making for age-friendly cities.

Challenges:
Replication is a task that escalates exponentially and should have a significant amount of time assigned when estimated. This is because it involves not only new data but translations and design concerns. Good user interface design is a must, specially for older citizens. All the studies conducted within the project can be rendered unusable if the target group can’t see it’s potential and use it. Open data must be improved. Civil servants should periodically updated their internal data and upload it to open data sources such as OSM so tools can improve. Achieving age friendly cities requires participation and data from many city departments, it´s key to cross data form different sources to be able to make a diagnosis of the urban space, Older adults are a very diverse group on many different spectrums. Age, mobility, digital literacy, social background… Combined with the distinctiveness of Flemish cities in the pilot, this created a very broad target group. Many stakeholders are involved in cities to implement new tools. In case of Urban planning for older adults we need the users: civils servants in charge of wellbeing of seniors and urban planners + GIS + data + IT. Quality of output depends on available data: in the ideal case there is high quality public data (E.g. city of Ghent and heat stress provided by Flanders). Otherwise we depend on OSM where the quality varies. Although the specific needs vary, the commonalities between cities are important: how to get safely from A to B taking the specific hurdles (snow in Helsinki, hills in Santander) into account. Older citizens needs regarding tech are simpler than cutting edge promotes. Natural language in UI is preferable than remarkable look and feel. (From feedback) Awareness in (smaller) cities on the advantages of open data must raised. A more central approach to opening existing data assets should be encouraged. Larger cities have an open data portal and resources to maintain it (e.g. https://data.stad.gent/explore/?disjunctive.keyword&disjunctive.theme&sort=modified). Smaller cities do not have these resources, and often don’t see the need for an open data approach. Older adults often already organize themselves in action groups, councils… This organizations are extremely valuable in maximizing participation. They are often also very willing and able to cooperate and be listened to.