New report on universal design and inclusive Citiverse development
Open, interoperable and scalable digital infrastructure must embed inclusiveness from the outset.
This is a central message in the newly published insights report “I want to go there now! Universal
design insights on Citiverse and digital twin technologies”.
The report has been developed within Work Package 2 Inclusive User Centric Design Process, led by
Our Normal Association, in close collaboration with consortium partners. It builds on the project’s
initial user research phase and draws on surveys, interviews and real-world observations involving
families of children with disabilities. Four main categories of barriers have been identified that limit
participation in city and event environments: attitudinal, physical, sensory and information-related.
These insights now form a structured foundation for the project’s continued technical and service
development.
The report further outlines five opportunity spaces where Citiverse and digital twin technologies can
strengthen inclusiveness, including digital previews for preparation and planning, AI-supported
accessibility navigation, adaptive information interfaces and real-time responsiveness based on live
data.
A key recommendation is the use of shared data standards and open APIs to ensure that inclusive
solutions can be reused and integrated across cities and services. Inclusiveness is therefore
positioned not as a feature, but as a structural principle within interoperable digital public
infrastructure. The insights now inform the project’s ongoing prototype development, strengthening
the link between user-centred research, open architecture and long-term scalability across European
urban contexts.
