Mapping urban disruptions across Europe: new deliverable from AntifragiCity
What disruptions do European cities face, and how often? A new pan-European mapping provides answers.
AntifragiCity's Urban Event Mapping deliverable presents comprehensive research on urban disruptions across Europe, incorporating data from our pilot sites in Odesa, Bratislava, Larissa, and Thessaloniki within a wider continental dataset.
The research uses a two-axis taxonomy covering event domain (transport, environment/weather, utilities/connectivity, and public space/social) and scale (daily, mid-scale, large-scale). The methodology integrates primary data from a multilingual survey of 140 respondents across 15 European countries, systematic literature review, EM-DAT disaster records, Copernicus satellite data, and social media analytics.
Key findings reveal that transport-related disruptions dominate the European risk landscape, with road works and public transport delays affecting over 60% of respondents. The resulting event catalogue and taxonomy provide a baseline for designing antifragile strategies and developing tools to help cities respond more effectively to disruption.
(Pending approval from the European Commission)
Explore more AntifragiCity deliverables
Visit our deliverables page to discover our full range of research, tools, and insights.
AntifragiCity is a Horizon Europe project rethinking urban mobility across Europe. Bringing together 13 partners in 8 countries, we are designing systems that don’t just recover, but adapt, improve, and grow stronger through disruption.
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AntifragiCity shares plans for dissemination, communication and engagement
How do we ensure that our research on antifragile urban mobility reaches the people who can use it? Through clear, strategic communication and meaningful engagement.
At AntifragiCity, we have developed a comprehensive plan for dissemination, communication, and engagement, designed to maximise the project's impact and outreach.
This document provides a detailed overview of the project's strategies and tools, including target audiences and their segments. It also describes AntifragiCity's online presence, including the website and social media channels, all designed to connect research with the communities, policymakers, and practitioners who can put it into action.
(Pending approval from the European Commission)
Explore more AntifragiCity deliverables
Visit our deliverables page to discover our full range of research, tools, and insights.
AntifragiCity is a Horizon Europe project rethinking urban mobility across Europe. Bringing together 13 partners in 8 countries, we are designing systems that don’t just recover, but adapt, improve, and grow stronger through disruption.
For more updates on AntifragiCity, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn, Bluesky, X, Facebook, and YouTube.
Presenting our first publication: “AntifragiCity: Advancing Urban Mobility Through Antifragile”
We are proud to announce the publication of AntifragiCity’s first academic paper, “AntifragiCity: Advancing Urban Mobility Through Antifragile”. This milestone marks the beginning of our scientific contribution to rethinking how cities can adapt, learn, and grow stronger in the face of disruption.
The paper outlines our project’s theoretical framework and examines how antifragile principles can improve urban mobility. Instead of simply aiming to recover from crises, the framework proposes methods that help systems become stronger as a result.
Key ideas include:
- Real-time monitoring of urban mobility stressors
- Adaptive decision support and predictive simulation
- Machine learning for continuous system improvement
- Planned validation in Larissa, Odesa, Bratislava, and Thessaloniki (through our pilots)
Our expected outcomes include reduced accident rates, improved resilience, and stronger citizen engagement in mobility planning.
The paper is co-authored by Yacine Rezgui, Ali Ghoroghi, Evangelos Manthos, Theocharis Vlachopanagiotis, and Afrouz Ghaemi.
Paper presented at ICE Conference 2025
Our coordinator, Yacine Rezgui, Professor of Urban Intelligence at Cardiff University’s School of Engineering and Co-founder of Optimise-AI, presented this publication during the International Conference on Engineering, Technology, and Innovation (ICE) 2025, held on 16–19 June in Valencia, Spain.
The ICE Conference is a leading international forum exploring how digital technologies transform engineering, innovation, and society. By bringing together academia and industry, ICE enables participants to exchange knowledge, share best practices, and discuss how technology is shaping the future.
The paper was introduced in the session “Urban digital and ecological transformation – an IT-engineering perspective”, chaired by Alain Zarli and Dieter Uckelmann. Professor Rezgui also shared the broader vision of AntifragiCity: building urban mobility systems that not only withstand disruptions but also adapt, learn, and improve through them.
We are proud to see our project represented among leading voices in smart and sustainable urban innovation!
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The AntifragiCity logo: A symbol of antifragility
We are excited to unveil our official logo, designed to reflect the values at the core of our work: antifragility, adaptability, and the capacity (of cities and mobility systems) to grow stronger through disruption.
The logo represents:
- A black swan event breaking the core of a city
- A path that adapts, redirecting toward recovery
- A curved roadline, referencing urban mobility
- A lowercase letter "a", a nod to our project’s name
- A bold magenta hue, evoking alertness and emergency response
This design was the favourite among our partners, who voted from five different options. Thanks to everyone who took part, and big thanks as well to the team that created our previous identity.
Download the AntifragiCity logo
Check our our Brand Book to learn the dos and don'ts of the logo usage.
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Introducing the AntifragiCity Brand Book
At AntifragiCity, we believe in the power of clear, compelling communication, and that starts with a strong, coherent identity. We’re excited to share the official AntifragiCity Brand Book, a practical guide that captures the essence of who we are and how we present ourselves to the world.
This resource outlines our mission, vision, target audiences, and tone of voice. It also defines our visual identity and provides practical guidance on using key elements, including our logo, colour palette, and typography.
Whether you are a designer, communicator, or simply curious about our work, this document ensures that every touchpoint reflects AntifragiCity’s spirit: bold, inclusive, forward-thinking, and solution-oriented.
It will guide our communication efforts, helping partners, stakeholders, and collaborators share our story consistently and clearly.
If you are working with us or featuring the project on your channels, we encourage you to use our Brand Book to ensure aligned, effective communication.
Download the AntifragiCity Brand Book
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AntifragiCity launches to build smarter, stronger urban mobility systems
AntifragiCity has officially launched! Funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme, this ambitious €4 million project is rethinking how cities respond to disruption — helping them move beyond resilience to become truly antifragile.
Cities today face a growing range of disruptions — from extreme weather and infrastructure failures to digital breakdowns. While most urban systems aim to resist shocks, AntifragiCity explores a different approach: enabling cities to adapt, transform, and improve when confronted with the unexpected.
For 36 months, 13 partners from across Europe will work together to develop and test tools, models, and strategies for more adaptive urban mobility. The goal? To create systems that don’t just bounce back from disruptions, but improve as a result of them.
The project will be piloted in four cities — Larissa (Greece), Odesa (Ukraine), Bratislava (Slovakia), and Thessaloniki (Greece) — allowing the team to experiment with antifragile mobility solutions in real-world conditions. These pilots will guide the development of more inclusive, responsive, and sustainable urban transport environments throughout Europe.
At the heart of AntifragiCity is the idea that traditional resilience strategies are no longer enough. As Yacine Rezgui, the project’s coordinator, explains:
"In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the energy crisis, and an ongoing war in Europe, cities are facing unprecedented challenges. AntifragiCity is about harnessing these disruptions as catalysts for positive change, building urban systems that adapt, learn, and emerge stronger. By integrating technology with local knowledge and citizen participation, we aim to pave the way to sustainable cities that are not only resilient but truly antifragile".
Coordinated by Cardiff University, the project brings together a multidisciplinary team comprising municipalities, research institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and innovation labs. This consortium reflects a unique balance of academic excellence, practical urban expertise, and industry knowledge.
The official kick-off meeting took place on 14-15 May 2025 in Thessaloniki, hosted by Greek mobility company Rhoé.
Read AntifragiCity’s first press release
For press and collaboration enquiries, contact: antifragicity@australo.org