From Data to Decisions: How MULTICARE Is Redefining Urban Resilience

Cities across Europe are facing growing climate-related risks, from heatwaves and floods to earthquakes and energy stress. Making the right decisions for buildings and neighbourhoods now requires more than experience or intuition. It requires reliable data, clear analysis and tools that translate complex information into practical guidance. This is exactly where MULTICARE comes in.

The MULTICARE project is developing a new generation of digital tools that help cities, designers and building owners move from raw data to informed, resilience-focused decisions. By combining science, digital innovation and real-world testing, the project shows how resilience can become measurable, comparable and actionable.

A new way to understand resilience

Urban resilience is no longer only about meeting technical standards. Cities must understand how buildings perform under multiple hazards at the same time, such as earthquakes combined with heat stress or flooding. Traditional assessment methods often analyse risks in isolation, which can lead to fragmented or conflicting solutions.

MULTICARE addresses this gap by combining environmental, structural, energy and social data into integrated assessment frameworks. Today, the project is halfway through its journey. After an intensive first phase focused on developing methodologies, assessment frameworks and digital tools, MULTICARE has entered a stage where these solutions are being tested, refined and validated in real-world conditions.

Several tools have already moved from conceptual development to practical application, supporting early design choices and pilot interventions across different European contexts. This marks an important shift from research to implementation.

From complex data to smarter design decisions

At the heart of MULTICARE is a suite of digital decision-support tools designed to be practical and user-centred. These tools analyse data at different scales, from individual building components to entire districts and cities.

Instead of long technical reports, users receive clear outputs such as resilience scores, risk maps or ranked retrofit options. For example, a building owner can compare different renovation strategies and immediately see how each option affects safety, energy performance and long-term resilience.

A key strength of these tools is their ability to support both new construction and renovation projects. This is particularly important for existing buildings and cultural heritage, where interventions must balance safety, sustainability and architectural value.

The first results include a digital catalogue of resilient materials and façade systems, actively used at pilot sites in Italy, Romania and the Netherlands. These tools are currently in an advanced testing phase, where feedback from real design scenarios is used to fine-tune performance indicators and usability.

Digital tools from buildings to cities

MULTICARE is transforming complex science into practical digital solutions. Several interactive tools and plug-ins are now in the testing and validation phase, used by design teams and public authorities involved in the pilot sites.

Resilience thinking in MULTICARE goes beyond individual buildings. The project also supports decision-making at neighbourhood and city scale through spatial decision-support systems.

The Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) prototype integrates pilot data from Amsterdam, Bucharest, Acerra and Tecuci, allowing cities to explore resilience scenarios, identify vulnerabilities and compare strategies before real-world interventions take place.

Tested in real cities, with real users

MULTICARE solutions are tested and refined through Living Labs in cities such as Acerra, Amsterdam, Bucharest and Tecuci. Local authorities, professionals and residents are actively involved, ensuring that the tools respond to real needs.

A resilient future starts today

With pilot activities underway and tools being tested across multiple cities, MULTICARE demonstrates how resilience thinking can already support better decisions today, while preparing the ground for long-term transformation of Europe’s built environment.

By connecting data, digital tools and human expertise, the project is redefining how urban resilience is assessed and designed.