CIVINET and Innovative Solutions

1080x1080_post_INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

CIVINET Greece-Cyprus, as an integral part of the European CIVITAS Network, remains consistently at the forefront of innovation at an international level.

Actively engaged in the CIVITAS New Mobility Services community and EIT Urban Mobility, and collaborating with leading scientific and research institutions in Greece and abroad, CIVINET has the capacity to propose and implement innovative solutions for every challenge related to sustainable mobility.

Indicative examples of its work in the field of innovation include:

  • Participatory Planning Platform: CIVINET developed the first fully integrated digital consultation platform in Greece for Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs). The platform can be adapted to support additional strategic plans or the implementation of individual projects. It was successfully deployed for the SUMPs of Agios Dimitrios, Vyronas, Nikaia–Ag. I. Rentis, Keratsini–Drapetsona, Thebes, Kavala, Sifnos, Kea, and Chora Naxou

  • Smart Traffic Counter: in collaboration with the Belgian company Telraam, CIVINET introduced to Greece the first AI-powered traffic counters capable of recognising vehicles and pedestrians through video-based object detection. The system was successfully piloted in the Municipalities of Vari–Voula–Vouliagmeni and Agios Dimitrios.

  • AI-Generated Digital Urban Models: at the 2nd CIVINET Forum, CIVINET presented to the Greek audience — through a dedicated workshop — the UrbanistAI application. The tool enables non-specialised users to upload a photo of a street, square, or building and modify it through simple text commands, supporting the participatory urban design process

  • Smart Loading Zones & Accessible Parking (PARK4DIS): in collaboration with the Spanish company PARK4DIS, CIVINET AMKE is now able to introduce Greece’s first smart loading and accessible parking spaces. These spaces are protected by a retractable barrier that lowers only when the vehicle that has reserved the space approaches within a predefined time slot.Urban Vehicle Access Regulations (UVAR) & Controlled Traffic Zones: full pedestrianisation is no longer the only solution for reducing private car use in historic centres, residential areas, or tourist destinations. CIVINET AMKE has developed tailored solutions for Greek cities and destinations, enabling the delineation of controlled access zones through retractable bollards. Access can be restricted to specific vehicle categories (residents, delivery, cleaning services, emergency vehicles) on designated days and hours.For this purpose, CIVINET translated the relevant ELTIS guidelines into Greek and integrates this approach into the SUMPs and Local Urban Plans it prepares. It also collaborates with the OTE Group, the main technology provider in Greece, which has already successfully implemented such a system in the city centre of Larissa.

  • Municipal Transport & Electromobility: within the framework of the European projects INCIRCLE and CIVITAS Destinations, the Municipality of Rethymno acquired Greece’s first electric mini-bus and equipped a municipal parking facility with photovoltaic canopies that directly charge municipal vehicles. Through the European project SPINE, the Municipality of Heraklion (Crete) is procuring a small electric vehicle to transport persons with reduced mobility within the pedestrianised city centre.

  • Micromobility: the CIVINET team was among the first in Greece to test and adopt e-scooters and e-cargobikes for daily use. The organisation also donated electric bicycles to three municipalities within its network and to members of its team. Through the European projects Challenge My City and SMARTMOBAIR, CIVINET launched Greece’s first Micromobility Hubs — secure and smart parking stations for bicycles and e-scooters — in Heraklion (Crete), Heraklion (Attica), Rethymno, and the OTEAcademy in Maroussi.