The Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds and AI – Discovering the Citiverse, co-led by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations International Computing Centre (UNICC) and Digital Dubai, has published the draft Global Digital Citiverse Framework and opened a public consultation process until 3 December 2025.
The European SENSE project (Strengthening Cities and Enhancing Neighbourhood Sense of Belonging) encourages cities, administrations, businesses, research centres and civil society to review the document and send their comments. This is a key opportunity to define what the CitiVerses that will transform urban life in the comng years will look like.
What is CitiVerse and why is this framework important?
CitiVerse is defined as an immersive and interoperable digital urban ecosystem, composed of interconnected virtual worlds that reflect and extend physical cities. It integrates technologies such as extended reality (VR/AR/MR), digital twins, artificial intelligence, IoT and blockchain, offering new tools for urban planning, citizen participation and public service delivery.
The Global Digital Citiverse Framework is a living, non-prescriptive framework that helps cities to:
- Understand why a new model of urban digital transformations is needed to connect the physical, social and digital dimensions of the city.
- Define the fundamental elements needed to build a reliable, interoperable and people-centred CitiVerse (data governance, standards, technical architecture, inclusion, accessibility, etc).
- Determine how to experiment, prototype and implement solutions through sandbox environments before scaling up to the city.
The document consolidates global knowledge into a single practical resource, with recommendations, standards, use cases, and lessons learned, designed so that no city is left behind, regardless of its size or level of digital maturity.
The SENSE consortium's contribution to the global framework
The draft Global Digital Citiverse Framework has been developed by an international team of more than 70 organisations. Among its authors we find representatives of SENSE project partners, such as:
- Antonio J. Jara (Libelium)
- Martin Brynskov and Michael Mulquin (Open & Agile Smart Cities & Communities – OASC)
Both Libelium and OASC are part of the SENSE consortium, reinforcing the connection between this global framework and the work we are doing to build people-centred European CitiVerses.
How SENSE connects with the Global Digital Citiverse Framework
The SENSE project aims to create a network of connected virtual worlds that reflect real cities, in line with the European EU Smart Communities initiative. To do this:
- It uses European data infrastructure and complies with interoperability standards to develop practical use cases for CitiVerse to serve local authorities and citizens.
- It introduces VR/AR and metaverse technologies so that people can navigate and interact with digital urban spaces.
- It goes beyond technology, focusing on the social, architectural, green and cultural dimensions of urban spaces, with the aim of strengthening the sense of belonging in neighbourhoods and cities.
The Global Digital Citiverse Framework offers precisely the conceptual and technical roadmap that provides context for the type of solutions SENSE is developing: open, inclusive, ethical and standards-based CitiVerses that integrate the voice of citizens from the design stage onwards.
A call to action: participate in the consultation
The draft Global Digital Citiverse Framework is open to comments from all types of stakeholders:
- Public administrations and local goverments
- Technology companies and innovative SMEs
- Universities, research centres, and think tanks
- Citizen and civil society organisations
Providing feedback now is key to esuring that the global CitiVerse:
- Protects people’s digital rights and privacy
- Reduces the digital divide and is inherently inclusive
- Is built on open standards that avoid vendor lock-in
- Aligns urban innovation with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Where can you find the draft and how can you submit comments?
You can view and download the draft Global Citiverse Framework from the Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds and AI – Discovering the Citiverse website. The comment period is open until 3 December 2025.
At SENSE, we encourage you to:
- Read the document from the perspective of your city, organisation or community.
- Identify which parts of the framework are most relevant to your urban challenges.
- Submit your proposals, nuances or practical exampes that could enrich the final version.
If you work in a city, company, or organisation interested in digital twins, VR/AR, urban metaverses, or digital citizen participation, this consultation is a unique opportunity to influence the design of the CitiVerse of the future… and do so with SENSE.