In spring 2025, the CitiObs took a significant step forward by welcoming 30 new Alliance Cases (ACs) to our growing community of Citizen Observatories (COs).

Selected from over 50 applications, these new partners reflect the growing momentum behind citizen-led environmental monitoring and action across Europe.

Our expanded Alliance now spans 13 countries - Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine.

From air quality and noise pollution to urban heat and water quality, these initiatives are tackling shared environmental challenges through a local lens and community engagement.

A growing network of citizen scientists

This new group of Alliance Cases (ACs) builds on the momentum of the CitiObs Alliance: a network designed to connect and support Citizen Observatories and citizen science initiatives across Europe.

The Alliance brings together local groups using participatory approaches and low-cost technologies to address urban environmental issues in their communities. The goal is to use the data they gather to provide policymakers with valuable environmental insights that can help inform their decision-making.

By becoming Alliance Cases, these COs gain tailored support to improve their impact, sustainability, and connection to broader urban innovation ecosystems.

The selection process revealed a rich diversity of local contexts, motivations and technical capacities, but also several common themes, particularly around the need for improved data quality, engagement with policy stakeholders, and better access to tools and training.

Supporting local action, building collective intelligence

Since their selection, the 30 new Alliance Cases (ACs) have begun an onboarding journey with CitiObs. This has involved online sessions to introduce the project's tools, concepts and support offer, as well as deeper discussions to understand the socio-technical challenges each CO faces.

So far, we’ve held two key events to kickstart this process.

The Onboarding Workshop offered an introduction to CitiObs and an initial space for exchange.

This was followed by a Cluster Meeting, where ACs were grouped into five thematic clusters. These clusters will now be ‘twinned’ with CitiObs’ five Frontrunner Cases, which are well-established COs already involved in the project. The goal is to create opportunities for targeted peer exchange and tailored learning between the different partners. 

What does CitiObs offer its ACs? Each Citizen Observatory in the Alliance will benefit from:

• Online trainings and workshops, tailored to local needs and challenges;
• Networking and peer-learning opportunities with other COs and across the wider citizen science ecosystem;
• In-person study visits to one of the Frontrunner cities to experience citizen science in action;
• Access to Smart Citizen sensors for environmental monitoring;
• Support in connecting their data to the CitiObs data hub, with validation tools and data management algorithms.
• Support for working with creatives in citizen and community-led actions.

Together, these offers are designed to strengthen each CO’s ability to produce robust, actionable data while empowering communities and building stronger links to policy-making.

Creating a shared space for collaboration

To further support networking and exchange, the CitiObs community has its own forum at the NetZeroCities Portal. This online space aims to become a hub for sharing resources, exchanging experiences, and growing connections across the community.

What’s next?

In the coming months, the CitiObs Alliance will continue to grow and evolve. Our upcoming activities include training sessions (including one focused on influencing policy), distribution of sensors to the ACs, and the first round of in-person study visits.

These will offer more hands-on opportunities for learning and collaboration, and will continue to shape our understanding of what COs need to succeed.

Through this expanded Alliance, CitiObs is building a stronger foundation for citizen science in Europe, one that is more connected, more inclusive, and more capable of driving positive environmental change.