What Urban ReLeaf does

Urban ReLeaf is a Horizon Europe-funded citizen science research consortium launched in January 2023 (Grant Agreement No. 101086638; UKRI Innovate UK grants 10061290 and 10041792) and coordinated by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Laxenburg, Austria, with the project website hosted by the University of Dundee. Its function is to enable citizens in six European pilot cities — Athens, Cascais, Dundee, Mannheim, Riga, and Utrecht — to collect hyperlocal environmental data on urban heat stress, humidity, air quality (PM2.5), tree cover, and greenspace perceptions, and to feed that data into municipal climate adaptation and urban greening planning. The technology stack combines a web-based visualization platform with three mobile applications (EcoPulse for TRH wearable sensor data, Trees App for tree registry and biomass estimation, and PartiMap for perception surveys), 300+ low-cost wearable TRH sensors and 20 static air quality sensors, and integration with Earth Observation data and municipal systems including Utrecht's Digital Twin (used to visualize 12 climate adaptation scenarios and reportedly enable 30% faster infrastructure decision-making).

The business model is grant-based rather than commercial. Urban ReLeaf is a four-year research project that distributes its outputs as open-access deliverables (Zenodo repositories), four downloadable toolkits (Toolkit, Governance Model, Pop-Up Labs framework, Roadmap), and a paid capacity-building Accelerator Programme launched in December 2025 that offers ~6-hour Accelerators and ~20-hour Frontrunner workshops for replication cities. GTM is community-led through a Community of Practice with three Working Groups (Innovation in Public Authorities led by ICLEI Europe, Citizen Science and Earth Observation led by IIASA, Urban Design Foresight / NBS led by the University of Dundee) and 210+ registered members, alongside Pop-Up Community and Culture Labs that commission artists (€2,500 per project) for creative engagement. Customer segments are municipalities and regional governments (the six pilot cities), replication cities (Accelerator prospects), researchers and academics, and environmental and community groups. Urban ReLeaf's differentiators are its validated methodology for integrating citizen data with Earth Observation and municipal systems across multiple jurisdictions, its published content library of governance and engagement toolkits, and its regulatory alignment with the EU Green Deal, EU Nature Restoration Law, UN SDG 11, and the New Urban Agenda (evidenced by a documented UN-Habitat collaboration in Nov–Dec 2024).

Name

Urban ReLeaf

Legal name

Urban ReLeaf Consortium

Website

https://urbanreleaf.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Urban ReLeaf is a Horizon Europe-funded citizen science consortium coordinated by IIASA that helps six European pilot cities (Athens, Cascais, Dundee, Mannheim, Riga, Utrecht) collect hyperlocal heat, air quality, tree, and greenspace data and integrate it into municipal climate adaptation planning.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Climate Monitoring Services

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ), Urban & Regional Planning (Land Use, Zoning, Master Planning) (BPAIANAD), Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL)

Keywords

• Citizen science platform
• Urban heat monitoring
• Air quality sensors
• Urban greening tools
• Climate adaptation data

Headquarters

HQ city

Vienna

HQ country

Austria

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Grant Funding: Urban ReLeaf is funded as a Horizon Europe research and innovation project co-funded by the European Union (Grant Agreement No. 101086638) with UK participants supported by UKRI Innovate UK under grant agreements 10061290 and 10041792. The project is a four-year initiative launched in January 2023.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Urban ReLeaf is a Horizon Europe funded citizen science research project that develops and operates a platform combining mobile applications, wearable sensors, and digital twin integrations to enable citizens across six European pilot cities to collect hyperlocal environmental data on urban heat, air quality, and greenspace quality. The project produces practical toolkits, governance models, and Pop-Up Labs frameworks that municipalities use to embed citizen-generated data into urban planning and climate adaptation strategies.

Product overview

Urban ReLeaf is a Horizon Europe citizen science initiative that operates as a platform-plus-toolkit ecosystem rather than a single software product. The core offering consists of the Urban ReLeaf Toolkit (how-to guide), Governance Model (co-governance framework), and Pop-Up Labs Framework (creative engagement methodology), which together provide cities with practical resources for implementing citizen-powered environmental monitoring. Supporting digital products include the EcoPulse App (wearable sensor data collection), Trees App (urban tree registry), and PartiMap (perception surveys). The Urban ReLeaf Platform provides web-based data visualization, while the Accelerator Programme offers capacity-building services for cities seeking to replicate the approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EcoPulse App: Mobile application for citizen science data collection on environmental conditions
• Urban ReLeaf Cities App
• Urban ReLeaf – Mannheim's Trees
• Community of Practice (CoP)

Products and services

• Urban ReLeaf Toolkit A complete how-to guide for cities implementing citizen science for urban greening, covering assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation of citizen-generated environmental data initiatives.
• Urban ReLeaf Governance Model Adaptive co-governance framework guiding cities through five iterative phases from co-framing to scaling, enabling citizen-generated data to become a trusted part of urban planning processes.
• Pop-Up Labs Framework Creative commissioning framework for city councils to design and deliver community-based engagement around climate and urban greening data through a five-phase delivery model.
• Urban ReLeaf Platform Web-based data visualization and mapping platform displaying citizen-generated environmental data (temperature, humidity, air quality) across pilot cities in real-time.
• EcoPulse App Mobile application for citizens to collect temperature and relative humidity data using wearable sensors, with thermal discomfort reporting functionality and automatic data transmission to the Urban ReLeaf platform.
• Trees App Mobile application for city tree registries enabling citizens to add unregistered trees, report removals, and contribute data on tree dimensions and site conditions for urban forestry planning; Athens version includes biomass estimation capabilities.
• PartiMap Web-based perception survey tool enabling citizens to share perceptions of urban hot and cool spots based on personal comfort factors including shade, traffic, and wind.
• Urban ReLeaf Roadmap Forward-looking guidance document setting pathways for cities to embed citizen observations and data in urban planning, bridging local action with European priorities.
• Urban ReLeaf Accelerator Programme Capacity-building and replication initiative helping cities harness citizen science for greener, resilient urban decisions through tools, methods, and expert support, with Accelerators (self-paced) and Frontrunner cities (tailored workshops) tracks.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300+ low-cost sensors generating fine-scale urban heat pattern data across four cities
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability6 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Urban ReLeaf co-hosted a World Café session at the 6th ESP Europe Conference in Prague (May 2026) titled 'Whose scenario? Citizen participation in social-ecological scenario planning', in collaboration with Aarhus University and Universität Kassel.
• Aarhus UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Collaborated with Urban ReLeaf and Universität Kassel to co-host the World Café session 'Whose scenario? Citizen participation in social-ecological scenario planning' at ESP Europe 2026.
• Universität KasselminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Partnered with Urban ReLeaf and Aarhus University for the World Café session on citizen participation in social-ecological scenario planning at ESP Europe 2026.
• Cities Mission Conference (Vilnius)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Urban ReLeaf delivered an engaging session at the Cities Mission Conference in Vilnius in May 2025, showcasing project tools and results from Athens, Riga, Utrecht, and Mannheim, engaging potential replication cities and informing the Accelerator Programme.
• Morten Graversgaard (Aarhus University)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Partnered with Urban ReLeaf Working Group 3 to co-host the World Café session 'Whose scenario? Citizen participation in social-ecological scenario planning' at ESP Europe 2026.
• Ina Sieber (Universität Kassel)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Co-hosted the World Café session at ESP Europe 2026 with Urban ReLeaf WG3 and Morten Graversgaard on citizen participation in social-ecological scenario planning.
• UN-HabitatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024A collaboration between November and December 2024 explored how citizen science can support the Global Urban Monitoring Framework, aligning indicators across SDG 11, the New Urban Agenda, and the City Prosperity Index.
• Adaptation AGORAminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Co-organised a workshop at EURESFO 2024 in Valencia with Adaptation AGORA and ACCTING projects, engaging around 70 participants on inclusive citizen engagement strategies.
• ACCTINGminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Co-organised a workshop at EURESFO 2024 in Valencia alongside Adaptation AGORA and Urban ReLeaf on co-creating inclusive climate adaptation solutions.
• European Urban Resilience Forum (EURESFO)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024Urban ReLeaf participated in EURESFO 2023 (Cascais), 2024 (Valencia), and 2026, co-organising workshops and the Community of Practice Forum on inclusive climate adaptation and citizen-powered science.
• ICLEI EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024ICLEI Europe leads Working Group 1 (Innovation in Public Authorities), bringing its extensive network of local governments committed to sustainability and resilience. ICLEI co-organised workshops at EURESFO and Cities Mission Conference, and maintains the Community of Practice.
• International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024IIASA serves as the Urban ReLeaf Project coordinator and leads Working Group 2 (Citizen Science and Earth Observation), contributing deep expertise in Earth Observation, data science, and citizen science methodologies. IIASA coordinates the project from its Laxenburg facility.
• University of DundeecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024University of Dundee leads Working Group 3 (Urban Design Foresight / NBS) and hosts the project website. It coordinates the Dundee pilot and contributed to the 4th European i-Tree Conference & Urban ReLeaf Plenary.
• i-Tree (4th European Conference)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2024Urban ReLeaf co-hosted a dedicated workshop at the 4th European i-Tree Conference & Urban ReLeaf Plenary (June 2024), engaging stakeholders on trust-building, data integration, and participatory foresight approaches.
• European Citizen Science Association (ECSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Urban ReLeaf was strongly represented at ECSA 2026 in Oulu, Finland (3-6 March), presenting multiple sessions on bridging ethics and data integration, embedding citizen observations in urban policy, and tech-enabled citizen science for urban futures.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smart Citizen: Barcelona-based citizen science platform that provides low-cost sensors and a data dashboard for citizens to monitor air quality and environmental conditions. Directly comparable to Urban ReLeaf's EcoPulse app and TRH sensor network, sharing the citizen-generated environmental data model.
• Sensor.Community: Global open-source citizen air quality sensor network (formerly Luftdaten). Comparable to Urban ReLeaf's low-cost air quality sensor deployment in Riga and citizen-driven monitoring methodology across multiple European cities.
• i-Tree (USDA Forest Service / i-Tree Eco): Public-domain urban forestry assessment toolset from the USDA Forest Service with strong European adoption. Closely comparable to Urban ReLeaf's Trees App and Athens biomass estimation work, particularly given the joint 4th European i-Tree Conference collaboration.
• PurpleAir: Crowdsourced air quality monitoring network that Urban ReLeaf directly integrates with for PM2.5 visualisation in Riga and Athens. Comparable as a citizen-deployed low-cost air quality sensor ecosystem with similar data openness model.

Emerging players

• Green City Watch: Amsterdam-based startup offering urban green infrastructure monitoring using satellite and ground data for municipalities. Comparable to Urban ReLeaf's citizen-Earth Observation integration for urban greening decisions, with a more commercial SaaS orientation.

Broad incumbents

• ICLEI Europe: Global network of local and regional governments committed to sustainability, leading Urban ReLeaf's Working Group 1. Directly comparable as the broader incumbent ecosystem that Urban ReLeaf plugs into for policy reach and city-level distribution.
• BreezoMeter: Commercial air quality intelligence platform combining sensor data, satellite, and models. Comparable to Urban ReLeaf's air quality data layer but operates as a commercial product serving enterprises and governments at scale.
• Plume Labs (acquired by AccuWeather): Air quality analytics company providing hyperlocal pollution data to consumers and cities. Comparable to Urban ReLeaf's PM2.5 monitoring and citizen-science air quality methodology, but operating as a venture-backed commercial entity.
• The Trust for Public Land: US nonprofit working on parks, green infrastructure, and climate resilience through data-driven urban planning tools. Comparable to Urban ReLeaf's greenspace perception and urban planning use cases, particularly the Climate-Smart Cities program.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Global network of mayors addressing climate change with significant data and knowledge programmes. Comparable to Urban ReLeaf in targeting city-level climate adaptation decision-making, but operating at a much larger global scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ReLeafCities
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/releafcities
• Instagraminstagram.com/releafcities
• Xx.com/releafcities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Urban ReLeaf