What UrbanistAI does

UrbanistAI is an AI-powered participatory urban planning and co-design platform developed under Italian parent company Toretei and headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, with a workforce of approximately five employees as of 2023. The platform is built around proprietary generative AI models that produce photorealistic visualizations of urban design proposals from multimodal inputs — images, free-text descriptions, and structured planning data — and are locally fine-tuned on each customer's policy documents, zoning codes, and master plans so that outputs are anchored to the municipality's actual regulatory and design context.

The product is delivered as multi-platform software (mobile, desktop, and iPad) and is accompanied by paid facilitated workshops in which UrbanistAI staff run participatory design sessions with citizens and planners. The company also offers custom contract work for GovTech integrations and exhibition-format deployments. Customer concentration is overwhelmingly public-sector — including flagship deployments with Dubai's Urban Design Platform, the City of Zürich's 'Denk Züri Neu' initiative, and the Connect East Cleveland program — with secondary customer segments of communication agencies, design and architecture studios, and academic institutions.

Commercial mechanics combine a monthly subscription for ongoing platform access, project-based fees for workshop services, and bespoke contracts for custom experiences. Distribution is heavily leverage-based: rather than a direct sales force, UrbanistAI relies on a partner stack including UNDP Accelerator Labs, Bloomberg Cities, the GIZ Data Lab, and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation, which provide pipeline access and institutional validation in markets that are otherwise difficult for a five-person vendor to enter.

Name

UrbanistAI

Legal name

Toretei

Website

https://urbanistai.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UrbanistAI is an AI-powered participatory urban planning platform that converts multimodal inputs — text, images, and planning data — into photorealistic visualizations, primarily serving municipalities through custom generative models trained on local policy documents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Planning Software / GovTech

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Participatory urban planning
• Generative AI co-design
• Citizen engagement platform
• GovTech AI solutions
• Collective intelligence tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscription Access: Monthly subscription providing full access to essential features for conducting participatory AI workshops, experimentation, and co-design sprints. Targets individual users or organizations.
2. Workshop Services: Professional services where UrbanistAI team helps set up and run Participatory AI workshops and campaigns, including method identification, training sessions, and ongoing support throughout the workshop.
3. Custom Experiences: Customized platform development for special occasions such as exhibitions and events, or developed into full-scale GovTech applications with custom UX/UI and locally trained generative AI models.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UrbanistAI provides an AI-powered platform that combines collective intelligence with generative AI to enable participatory urban planning and co-design. The platform operates across three modules — Ideate (collaboratively design public space concepts), Evaluate (assess designs with stakeholders and AI agents), and Deliberate (run polls to select desirable ideas) — delivered via Desktop, iPad, and Mobile interfaces with custom GenAI models trained on local policy documents.

Product overview

UrbanistAI is an AI-powered platform developed by Toretei (an Italian company specializing in Generative AI solutions) that provides a multi-platform experience for participatory planning and co-design. The core portfolio consists of UrbanistAI Platform (web-based), UrbanistAI Mobile (map-based campaigns), UrbanistAI Desktop (complete suite with project management), and UrbanistAI iPad (drawing and rendering). The platform operates across three main functions: IDEATE (collaboratively design new concepts for public spaces), EVALUATE (assess design solutions with stakeholders and AI agents), and DELIVERATE (conduct polls to select desirable ideas). Additional services include Subscription access, Workshop facilitation services, Custom Experiences for exhibitions/events, GovTech and Innovation partnerships, Custom Participatory AI development, Programs and Campaigns design, and Collaborative Grant Applications support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UrbanistAI Mobile: Map-based online ideation and data collection platform deployed for city campaigns, enabling policymakers and citizens to visualize policy outcomes.
• UrbanistAI Desktop
• UrbanistAI iPad

Products and services

• UrbanistAI Platform Web-based AI-powered platform that enables participatory planning and co-design through three modules — IDEATE, EVALUATE, DELIBERATE — for local governments, agencies, and design studios running citizen engagement and urban design workshops.
• UrbanistAI Mobile Map-based mobile application that lets local governments, communication agencies, and interest groups launch campaigns enabling citizens and visitors to re-imagine public spaces in specific geographic areas through online ideation and data collection.
• UrbanistAI Desktop Desktop variant providing the complete suite of UrbanistAI tools plus integrated project management capabilities for running comprehensive participatory AI workshops and co-design sprints.
• UrbanistAI iPad iPad application optimized for touch and pen input, providing drawing and rendering tools for design and visualization tasks during co-design workshops.
• Workshop Services Professional service where the UrbanistAI team helps clients set up and run Participatory AI workshops and campaigns, identifying best-fit methods, providing training to equip client teams, and offering ongoing support throughout the workshop engagement.
• Custom Experiences Bespoke platform development for special occasions such as exhibitions and events, or full-scale GovTech applications with custom UX/UI design and locally trained generative AI models tuned to specific urban planning contexts.

Quantifiable outcome

• Democratizing access to design and architecture by enabling residents to create photorealistic images and maps through guided prompts
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• ToreteicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerToretei is the Italian company that developed UrbanistAI. As the parent company, Toretei specializes in Generative AI solutions and has created UrbanistAI as its flagship platform for participatory urban planning and co-design. The relationship is strategic and foundational to UrbanistAI's technology development.
• SPIN UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPIN Unit is mentioned as a co-creator alongside Toretei in developing UrbanistAI. SPIN Unit contributes to the platform's development for participatory urban planning applications.
• UNDP Accelerator LabsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on visualizing future with AI in climate action initiatives. UNDP Accelerator Labs has featured UrbanistAI in reports on AI-powered tools for enhancing public understanding of climate risks and stimulating citizen engagement through visualization techniques.
• Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government InnovationflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports the Dubai Urban Design Platform initiative where UrbanistAI was used for a workshop enabling residents to design a new park in Nad Al Hamar 3, demonstrating the platform's capabilities in government innovation contexts.
• GIZ Data LabflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIZ Data Lab has featured UrbanistAI in AI-supported city planning initiatives for feminist urban spaces. The collaboration showcases AI-generated images for inclusive and feminist urban and transport planning.
• Bloomberg CitiescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBloomberg Cities has featured UrbanistAI in articles about AI-powered urban innovations, highlighting how GenAI technology is lowering barriers to participation in urban planning.
• Dubai Urban Design PlatformflagshipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGovernment entity using UrbanistAI for participatory planning workshops. Successfully conducted workshops where Dubai residents actively participated in designing a new park, demonstrating effective implementation of the platform in government contexts.
• City of ZürichcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMunicipal government where UrbanistAI Mobile was deployed for the Denk Züri Neu initiative, enabling map-based citizen engagement in urban planning.
• Academic InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrbanistAI has established partnerships with academic institutions globally to drive organizational innovation, develop new engagement practices, and support participatory planning campaigns. Collaborations include academic grants for turning new Participatory AI methods into real pilot projects.
• Design Studios and Communication AgenciesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrivate sector partners using UrbanistAI for public engagement campaigns on behalf of their clients. These partners leverage the platform's capabilities to deliver participatory design experiences.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Bang the Table: Bang the Table provides community engagement software (EngagementHQ) used by local governments for consultations, ideation, and participatory planning. It is comparable to UrbanistAI in serving the public sector's citizen engagement needs.
• Decidim: Decidim is a widely adopted open-source participatory democracy platform used by municipalities for citizen proposals, debates, and voting. It overlaps with UrbanistAI's Deliberate module and overall participatory-planning functionality.
• Consul: Consul is an open-source civic participation platform originally developed for the Madrid City Council, used globally for participatory budgeting, proposals, and polls. It competes in the same digital-participation-for-cities category as UrbanistAI.
• CitizenLab: CitizenLab is a civic engagement platform used by hundreds of cities for participatory planning, ideation, and consultation. It directly competes with UrbanistAI in providing digital tools that enable citizens to co-design urban policies and public spaces.
• Pol.is: Pol.is is an open-source real-time deliberation platform used by civic organizations and governments for structured group conversation and consensus-building. Its deliberation functionality directly mirrors UrbanistAI's Deliberate module.
• Place Dynamics: Place Dynamics provides civic engagement and community input tools for urban planning and public-sector projects. It competes with UrbanistAI in enabling citizens to participate in place-based design and planning decisions.
• Streetwyze: Streetwyze is a neighborhood engagement platform that collects resident input through map-based and mobile tools for community planning. It is a direct competitor in the geo-targeted, citizen-driven urban planning engagement space.

Emerging players

• Slido: Slido is an audience engagement platform used in workshops, town halls, and hybrid events for Q&A, polls, and ideation. While broader in scope, it overlaps with UrbanistAI's workshop facilitation and Deliberate functionality.

Broad incumbents

• OpenGov: OpenGov is a broader government technology provider offering budgeting, procurement, and civic engagement software to municipalities. While not a direct competitor in participatory co-design, it is a relevant incumbent selling to the same city customers.
• Zencity: Zencity is a broader government analytics and resident-feedback platform serving cities with surveys and community input dashboards. It overlaps with UrbanistAI's civic-engagement positioning but is not specialized in co-design visualization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urbanistai

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UrbanistAI