Our Pilot City Leuven is on track with the implementation of its Visionary Solutions, with sensors up and running to investigate climate and mobility data!

As part of  Leuven’s pilot, VARCITIES research involves understanding the heat island effect within urban areas. To achieve this, the project has installed weather stations across different microclimatic zones within the city. Two weather stations play a pivotal role in this endeavor: one located at the Romaanse Poort and another soon to be installed in the Villa garden by the Aa River. These stations measure temperature, precipitation, wind, air pressure, humidity, and more. The collected data is freely accessible to the public at leuven.cool.

In addition to weather data, VARCITIES is harnessing the power of citizen science through the Telraam project. Low-resolution computer vision cameras are being used to monitor various forms of traffic, including cyclists, pedestrians, and cars, along with their respective directions. For VARCITES’ pilot in Leuven, this data provides valuable insights into the usage patterns of newly developed thoroughfares. The mobility data are also freely accessible at telraam.net.

All pilots’ data will be available through the Health and Well-Being platform expected to launch soon.