New Transatlantic Tool Simplifies Urban Planning by Turning Real-Time Data into Traffic Insights
Sweden and the USA are joining forces to address a gap in the transport planning tools set, where there is a lack of monitoring tools that offer near real-time functionality and also integrate with the planning processes. By fusing information from mobile networks and road sensors, this project provides city planners with an agile tool to make faster decisions for cleaner, more efficient cities.
Modern urban planning is caught in a data trap. While cities are brimming with information from IoT sensors and connected vehicles, the tools used to process this data—Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs)—often rely on rigid simulation models. These models require months of work to reflect reality, making it nearly impossible for planners to react quickly follow up effects from when a new bus route is added or a street is closed for construction.
The Innovation: Automation Over Calibration
Linköping University, Sweden and Xtelligent, the USA, have via Future Mobility secured funding from Vinnova and the Swedish Energy Agency to introduce a methodology that eliminates the need for manual model tuning. Instead of relying of traditional simulation models, the platform uses a novel "network loading" technique that relies entirely on real-time and historical data.
The system functions as a digital nerve center for the city, operating through three core pillars:
- Data Ingestion: Gathering disparate streams from road layouts, IoT sensors, and connected vehicle services.
- Data Fusion: Merging these fragmented sources into a single, unified view of the entire mobility ecosystem.
- Actionable Output: Translating complex data into clear visualizations and KPIs, such as travel times and demand patterns, allowing for evidence-based decisions in hours rather than months.
From the Lab to the World Cup
The project bridges the gap between academic theory and commercial application through a strategic partnership between Sweden and the United States.
Linköping University (LiU) provides the scientific foundation, while Xtelligent leads the technical implementation and user experience design. The true value of the tool is being proven through two high-stakes use cases:
- In Sweden, Norrköping will test the tool to manage the logistical ripples caused by the massive Ostlänken railway project.
- In the USA, the Miami-Dade Innovation Authority is deploying the technology to monitor and predict traffic flows during global events like the World Cup.
A Denser Network for Sustainable Change
This initiative is more than a technical trial. It is a deliberate effort to make the innovation network between Sweden and the U.S. denser and more resilient.
"By connecting Swedish research expertise with the American tech scene, we are accelerating the path from theory to real-world impact for cities worldwide. This partnership bridges more than just data; it merges two distinct innovation cultures to drive smarter, more sustainable urban mobility. By combining our different strengths across the Atlantic, we gain a unique ability to scale this technology globally that wouldn’t be possible alone."
– Clas Rydergren, Linköping University.
By testing the same technology in the vastly different environments of Scandinavia and Florida, the project accelerates the development of a commercially viable product. The result is a faster path toward sustainable mobility, where data is a catalyst for cleaner and smarter cities.
This collaboration is the result of a joint effort led by Future Mobility, co-funded by Vinnova and the Swedish Energy Agency, and in collaboration with California’s Air Resources Board, Public Utilities Commission, and Energy Commission. The initiative is designed to foster partnerships and strengthen the research and innovation network between Sweden and the United States to speed up the development towards sustainable mobility.
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Tel: +46(0)70-840 27 40
Email: hans.pohl@lindholmen.se
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