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How Amsterdam's CityTech Alliance Pioneers Data-Driven Urban Planning
The Amsterdam CityTech Alliance is redefining how cities use open data for planning. Their open-source frameworks are now adopted by over 40 European municipalities.
Open Data, Open Cities
In an era where data drives decisions, Amsterdam's CityTech Alliance is ensuring that urban data serves everyone — not just those with the biggest budgets. Founded in 2021, the Alliance brings together municipal governments, universities, and civic tech organisations to develop open-source tools for data-driven urban planning.
The Open Urban Data Framework
At the heart of the Alliance's work is the Open Urban Data Framework (OUDF), a modular platform that allows any city to collect, analyse, and visualise urban data — from air quality and noise levels to housing availability and energy consumption.
The framework is designed to be accessible. Cities do not need large IT departments or expensive consultants to get started. The OUDF provides:
Impact Across Europe
What started as an Amsterdam initiative has grown into a European movement. Over 40 municipalities now use OUDF tools, from Helsinki to Porto. The framework has processed over 2.3 billion data points, helping city planners make evidence-based decisions on everything from cycling infrastructure to green space allocation.
"We believe every city, regardless of size or budget, deserves access to the tools that make data-driven planning possible." — Thomas van der Berg
Explore on SCH
The CityTech Alliance is profiled as an organisation on the Smart Cities Hub, alongside their key publications and open-source tools in our knowledge base.