[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/mt\/article\/modal\/10403\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n      3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n      \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n        \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n  \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EOn a mission to transform our cities\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu\/en\/horizon-magazine\/op-een-missie-om-onze-steden-te-transformeren\u0022\u003ENederlandse versie\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDecisions linked to policy should not be based on gut feelings\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECarrying out roadworks, making a new pedestrian area, or closing a road bridge changes the flow of vehicles in a city, and can mean increasing the traffic, as well as the air and noise pollution level, which has a negative impact on the lives of locals. However, it is not always possible to know exactly how these changes will play out. Whereas previously these estimates were based on gut decisions, they can now be backed up by real data.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn Ghent, Vervaet and his team at the DUET project have developed a digital replica of the city that allows urban planners to test out different scenarios and make decisions about traffic and pollution that will have the best outcomes for residents. This means that the congestion, noise and air pollution that we often associate with urban life are no longer as inevitable as we might think.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Bridge Contributiebrug on the entrance to the city of Ghent (Belgium)\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022file\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022015588f0-c9fc-47e9-9a7c-76d0c2c929da\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/1_0.png\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022italic mb-4\u0022\u003EBridge Contributiebrug on the entrance to the city of Ghent (Belgium)\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EBy developing a tool that brings together data and scientific modelling, Vervaet and his team have made it possible to try out different \u2018what if\u2019 scenarios and explore the impact of different actions on traffic and air pollution in urban areas.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKnown as a \u2018digital twin\u2019, this tool is designed to enable local policymakers in Ghent (Belgium), Pilsen (Czechia) and Athens (Greece) to make better-informed decisions for their cities. Now that the tool has proven to be very effective, the project\u2019s team hopes that they will be able to soon be put to use in other cities, too.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EImproving urban living\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMaking decisions based on real data and predications helps municipalities to achieve their goal of making their cities better suited to the needs of their citizens. As 75% of EU citizens live in urban areas, this approach can improve the quality of life of a huge number of people living in cities across the EU. The tool developed by Vervaet and his team is a perfect example of how initiatives applied at the local level can, if replicated, have a global impact on the fight against pressing challenges facing our societies.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022text-center text-blue font-bold text-2xl w-full lg:w-1\/2 border-2 border-blue p-12 my-8 lg:m-12 lg:-ml-16 float-left\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cspan class=\u0022text-5xl rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n  \u003Cp class=\u0022font-serif italic\u0022\u003EResearch and innovation are vital for the development of tools like DUET that improve our societies and the everyday lives of citizens.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n  \u003Cfooter\u003E\n    \u003Ccite class=\u0022not-italic font-normal text-sm text-black\u0022\u003EGert Vervaet, DUET \u003C\/cite\u003E\n  \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETesting out scenarios in a digital simulation will also help cities save money: \u2018it\u2019s obviously much cheaper to do that in software than to build a bridge here, build a bridge there, and then combine the two.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECitizens in the driving seat\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EWhile this makes the work carried out by city planners easier, it also has an immediate impact on the lives of citizens. Avoiding a traffic rush is beneficial both for drivers, who could take double the time to get to their destination, and residents, who could one day wake up and find that their quiet street has become a major thoroughfare because of nearby roadworks.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u2018What would be the impact of closing that bridge \u2013 in one direction, in two directions, where is the traffic going to go?\u2019. Vervaet argues that knowing the answer to these questions is key to making decisions that benefit everyone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EA novelty of this project\u2019s approach comes from the fact that it can combine models. This means that information about traffic can be fed in and share predictions not only about air pollution but also factors that are connected to that, such as noise pollution.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cfigure role=\u0022group\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cimg alt=\u0022Bird view of the bridge Contributiebrug on the entrance to the city of Ghent (Belgium)\u0022 data-entity-type=\u0022file\u0022 data-entity-uuid=\u0022dbec99f7-64c4-44a7-905c-72534830ac0a\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/hm\/IMCEUpload\/2_0.png\u0022\u003E\n\u003Cfigcaption class=\u0022italic mb-4\u0022\u003EBird view of the bridge Contributiebrug on the entrance to the city of Ghent (Belgium)\u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EVervaet explains that \u2018the models can talk to each other and that\u0027s something that I had not seen before in other digital twins\u2019, resulting in a multifunctional tool that can put complex data in a more understandable format for citizens who may be impacted by these decisions. As he puts it, \u2018you really have to digest everything\u2019 when it comes to presenting possible scenarios. Once information is clearly presented, it is easier to compare scenarios and decide what is best.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough projects like this, the impact of research and innovation on society and citizens\u2019 everyday lives becomes evident \u2013 through the development of tools, it\u2019s possible to bridge the gap between the public and the vast amounts of data we have about cities.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScience, research and innovation: our secret ally\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis research is part of the EU\u2019s efforts to discover new ways to prepare for climate change, protect our oceans and waters, and fight cancer. Together, EU countries can work more effectively, by pooling funding and expertise from around the world, coordinating international efforts, and benefitting from local knowhow.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThanks to EU investments, it is possible for international research collaboration to address challenges too big to be addressed by one country alone.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EJoin researchers on a mission to protect our planet and society, by sharing, liking and following the stories of #ResearchImpactEU.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003C\/textarea\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n            \u003Cdiv id=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 class=\u0022ecl-help-block description\u0022\u003E\n      Please copy the above code and embed it onto your website to republish.\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cinput autocomplete=\u0022off\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022form-z4olk8tp8saevsggioetphk07m7lfa0kxp9kvocvtvq\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_build_id\u0022 value=\u0022form-z4OLK8tp8saevSgGIOEtPHk07M7lFA0KxP9kVoCVTvQ\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003Cinput data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 type=\u0022hidden\u0022 name=\u0022form_id\u0022 value=\u0022modal_form_example_modal_form\u0022 \/\u003E\n\u003C\/form\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E","dialogOptions":{"width":"800","modal":true,"title":"Republish this content"}}]