How Las Rozas Uses AI to Make Urban Flow Safer and Greener

Las Rozas uses AI to improve how people and vehicles move through the city—making streets safer and reducing pollution.

April 2, 2025

Las Rozas, a fast-growing city near Madrid, is using AI to improve mobility, reduce congestion, and design safer, greener streets. As one of five Living Labs in the EU-funded AMIGOS project, the city is helping test AI-driven planning tools that make transportation and public space more efficient and responsive. The initiative explores how artificial intelligence, when combined with behavioral data and stakeholder input, can support planning decisions that reflect how people actually use the city.

Key Facts

Location: Las Rozas, Spain
Sector: Urban mobility / Environment / Public services
AI Application: AI-powered cameras and analysis tools for traffic and pedestrian flow
Technologies Used: AI, big data analytics, edge computing, Mobility Observation Box, digital twins
Technology Partner(s): Austrian Institute of Technology, AMIGOS consortium
Timeline: Project launched in June 2023; pilot reported in March 2025
Lead Stakeholder: Municipality of Las Rozas
Funding: European Union Horizon Europe Programme (€9.1M budget)

Project Context

Las Rozas is part of the Madrid Metropolitan Area and belongs to the Las Rozas-Majadahonda functional urban area. The municipality itself has a population of around 96,000 residents, while the broader functional area includes approximately 156,000 people.

The city is one of five main Living Labs participating in the EU-funded AMIGOS project, a multi-city collaboration designed to pilot AI-powered tools for safer and more sustainable urban mobility. Las Rozas plays a central role in testing and refining these tools.

In addition to the five Living Labs—Las Rozas (Spain), Hamburg (Germany), Gabrovo (Bulgaria), Lappeenranta (Finland), and Istanbul (Turkey)—the project includes ten Safety Improvement Areas (SIAs). These SIAs contribute real-world insights and help evaluate how interventions scale across different types of urban environments. Participating SIAs include Reykjavík (Iceland), Jūrmala (Latvia), Bologna (Italy), Ankara (Turkey), Nazareth (Israel), Espoo (Finland), Rome (Italy), Linz (Austria), Aveiro (Portugal), and Enugu (Nigeria).

Each city focuses on localized mobility and safety challenges relevant to their urban contexts, providing diverse test cases that enrich the project’s findings. The city's participation in AMIGOS reflects a broader ambition to serve as a model for mid-sized European municipalities exploring climate-friendly, tech-enhanced mobility systems.

Implementation

The AMIGOS project’s implementation in Las Rozas centers on the Las Matas neighborhood, a mixed-use area around a major train station. To improve urban flow, the city is deploying multiple interventions: safer pedestrian crossings, expanded bike and scooter parking, new EV charging points, and designated car-sharing areas. The initiative prioritizes stakeholder participation. Local authorities have involved residents, particularly vulnerable users, in co-design workshops. These inputs ensure that technology does not displace human needs, but aligns with them.

At the core of the strategy are AI-powered sensors and cameras developed by the Austrian Institute of Technology. These collect detailed movement data from road users—cars, bikes, and pedestrians—which is then analyzed through the AMIGOS platform. A Mobility Observation Box and mobile data collection app supplement the stream of behavioral data feeding into predictive models. These tools power a digital twin of the neighborhood, allowing planners to simulate interventions before they’re rolled out on the ground.

The Mobility Observation Box (MOB), developed by the Austrian Institute of Technology, is a compact, AI-enabled sensor unit used in Las Rozas to monitor real-time traffic patterns and detect safety risks without relying on external power or networks.

Impact

Though still early in the pilot phase, the data-driven interventions are already improving how the city allocates space and resources. Congestion is being tackled through better signal timing and traffic redistribution. Improved traffic patterns and safer intersections are expected to reduce emissions and enhance daily quality of life.

More broadly, the Las Rozas deployment helps refine AMIGOS methodologies that other cities in the consortium can apply, using shared tools, cross-city data, and lessons from real-world pilots. The digital twin enables continuous scenario testing, ensuring the city can adapt to future needs without starting from scratch.

The ultimate goal is a more predictive, participatory form of urban planning where AI augments public decision-making rather than replaces it.

Why It Matters

Mid-sized cities often lack the resources of global metros, yet face many of the same urban mobility challenges. Las Rozas provides a replicable example of how AI can be embedded in thoughtful, human-centered planning. By focusing on open data, local engagement, and incremental experimentation, the project shows how smart city innovation can stay focused on people and local needs.

Sources

TechXplore article: “How AI is helping improve urban flow”: https://techxplore.com/news/2025-03-smart-cities-ai-urban.html

EU Horizon Magazine: “Smart cities on the move”: https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/horizon-magazine/smart-cities-move-how-ai-helping-improve-urban-flow

AMIGOS Project official website: https://amigos-project.eu/

Green Reality Finland: “AMIGOS – AI-powered mobility interventions”: https://greenreality.fi/en/hankkeet/amigos