Cities across Europe are rethinking what it means to live, move, and connect in urban environments. I’m proud to share that AppyWay has joined CORESpaces, a €16.4 million EU-funded initiative under Horizon Europe, bringing together 45 partners to help cities design, test, and scale solutions for smarter, more inclusive, and climate-neutral urban spaces. The goal is to support 100 cities by 2030.
This month in Thessaloniki, I joined over 45 partners at the project’s official kickoff, a powerful gathering of city leaders, researchers, and innovators all driven by the same purpose: to create cities that work better for people and the planet. Listening to George Dimarelos, the Deputy Mayor for Protection of Public Space and Municipal Police of Thessaloniki, I was reminded how deeply our work connects to this shared mission – making streets not just functional, but fair, efficient, and human-centred.
Jyoti Goyal on the stage during COREspaces project’s kickoff meeting
What CORESpaces Represents
CORESpaces is part of Europe’s broader movement to deliver on the European Green Deal and the EU Mission for Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. Through AI-driven planning, digital twins, and citizen-centric design, it empowers cities to re-imagine urban space as an integrated system, linking mobility, energy, and public space in new and dynamic ways.
The project’s innovation ecosystem is built around Living Labs, real-world testbeds across 10 European cities, where new ideas are deployed, refined, and scaled. London, Thessaloniki, Tartu, Eindhoven, and Helmond will lead large-scale pilots, while cities like Limassol, Verona, Fribourg, Cluj-Napoca, and Ungheni will adapt and replicate these solutions to drive impact at scale.
London’s Living Lab and AppyWay’s Role
In London, we’re working alongside London Legacy Development Corporation, Transport for London, Lambeth Council, University College London, and Grid Smarter Cities to deliver the UK’s contribution to CORESpaces.
As a Digital Partner, AppyWay is building the intelligence layer mapping kerbside locations using AI, IoT, and camera-enabled systems to create the “digital brain” that powers dynamic street management. Our work will support dynamic pricing, demand-led allocation, and data-driven governance helping cities move from static rules and paper-based systems to responsive, digital operations.
This is more than technology. It’s about making streets more efficient, reducing air pollution, and improving safety particularly for women and girls while ensuring fair access for everyone who depends on the kerb, from freight to active travel.
Why This Matters
The kerb may seem like a small piece of urban infrastructure, but it sits at the heart of how a city functions. From deliveries and accessibility to clean air and active mobility, it’s where some of the most complex challenges and opportunities converge.
Being in Thessaloniki was a reminder that collaboration and shared purpose are what truly drive transformation. CORESpaces is not just an innovation project, it’s a collective step towards cities that are smarter, more inclusive, and ready for the next generation.
Skyline of Thessaloniki during the COREspaces meetup
