Mayors play a critical role in shaping the economic, social, and environmental landscape of their cities. With rapid urbanization and the increasing demand for sustainable and smart cities, Mayors need to be equipped with the knowledge and tools to make informed decisions that will benefit their communities in the long run. To this end, the Mayors for Economic Growth (M4EG) network has launched the Urban Learning Center (ULC), an initiative that aims to provide capacity-building and knowledge-sharing opportunities for municipalities.

The purpose of the RESTO tool is to collect data from various databases about the buildings in the observed area and compare their energy efficiency with the best renovated buildings. Based on nearly 500 parameters, the model analyses around 6,000 renovation possibilities for each building and suggests how the buildings in the given area should be renovated in such a way that it is possible to ensure the objectives of energy savings and emission reduction and optimal costs for the building owners, while not contradicting various building restrictions.

UrbanLIFEcircles project aims to improve the conditions of biodiversity in participating cities: Tartu, Riga and Aarhus. One of the goals is to prove a systematic approach leading the way to more biodiverse urban areas by creating “urban LIFE circles”. FinEst Centre’s researchers from GreenTwins project are creating a specific 3D modelling nuance to provide with necessary perspective for urban planners in their decisions.