ACUMEN guidebook to help cities navigate AI integration in traffic management
ACUMEN has released its City Guidebook for AI System Integration, offering European cities a roadmap for integrating Artificial Intelligence into traffic management systems safely, transparently, and in line with EU regulations.
As cities increasingly turn to AI to tackle congestion, improve air quality, and optimise multimodal transport, many struggle with a fundamental question: not just what AI can do, but when and how it should be deployed responsibly. The new guidebook addresses this challenge head-on.
From principles to practice
Drawing on the real-world experiences of pilot cities Luxembourg, Helsinki, Athens and Amsterdam, this guidebook translates the complex regulatory requirements of the EU AI Act, GDPR and Data Act into practical advice for transport authorities and urban planners.
It is important to note that AI is not just a technological upgrade; it is also a governance innovation. In order to ensure that AI enhances decision-making while maintaining accountability, transparency and public trust, cities need clear frameworks.
An interactive tool for cities
At the heart of the guidebook is an online Decision-Making Tool that guides cities through four progressive “gates”:
- Entry Gate – Assess your city’s profile and define the appropriate AI strategy
- Capability Gate – Evaluate readiness across data infrastructure, governance, and legal compliance
- Solution Gate – Identify which mobility challenges are best suited to AI intervention
- Execution Gate – Design safe pilots with proper risk management and citizen engagement
Upon completion, cities receive a tailored maturity assessment. This is either Emerging, Developing, or Advanced. They also receive specific recommendations for their next steps.
Real challenges, practical solutions
Pilot workshops held in the aforementioned cities revealed a number of consistent challenges, including fragmented data systems, unclear institutional responsibilities and public concerns about algorithmic accountability. The guidebook addresses these issues directly with recommendations for data governance, ethical oversight and stakeholder collaboration.
Importantly, it advocates a ‘try small, try safe’ approach: controlled experimentation with robust safeguards before scaling up across the whole city. This ensures that cities can harness the potential of AI while managing risks responsibly.
Supporting Europe’s digital mobility transformation
The guidebook presents AI as a means of achieving Europe’s broader vision of safe, sustainable and seamless urban mobility. By embedding governance principles directly into the technical design, ACUMEN shows that compliance and innovation can and should go hand in hand.
Access the Decision-Making Tool
Transport authorities, policymakers and mobility operators can use the interactive Decision-Making Tool to explore how AI integration could work for their city: https://acumen-project.eu/tool/AcumenDecision-makingTool.html
