On a rain‑slick Tuesday, Elena, the new mayor, asked a simple question: “Why can’t I walk my own city from my laptop and fix things as I go?” Karim, a shopkeeper, shrugged. “If I could drop a pin on that broken curb outside my bakery and see when it’s fixed, I’d believe you.” Minutes later, a council chamber clicked “Join” and stepped into Eurida’s photoreal twin.
The promise wasn’t another portal; it was a place. A browser‑streamed city twin where services live exactly where people live.
How it Works: Departments plug into the twin via standards‑based connectors: permits, works, mobility feeds. HAL8122™ greets citizens in plain language (“Where can I park with a Blue Badge near Calle Norte?”), routes requests, checks policy, and either fulfils or opens a guided task – with a human override always in reach. Zero installs; mid‑range devices welcome. Everything is role‑based, logged, and reversible.
Why it Matters: Karim drops that pin. A works crew gets an AR prompt; neighbours preview weekend closures; residents attend “walkable” hearings after bedtime. Back‑office teams debug the city together – planning, housing, mobility – inside one living map. Trust grows because causes and effects are visible.
EU‑by‑Design: GDPR‑native (data minimised; clear consent), EU AI Act‑ready assistants (traceable prompts/responses), Interoperable‑Europe standards to avoid lock‑in, and accessibility aligned with EN 301 549. Data stays in EU jurisdictions with explicit retention. “It feels like government I can actually see,” Karim messages – before the curb repair ETA pops up.