In retrospect: DIPAS_analytics conference in Hamburg

On 15 September 2025, the DIPAS_analytics conference took place in Hamburg with participants from administration, science and tech practice. The event, organised by the Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, the State Agency for Geoinformation and Surveying and the City Science Lab at HafenCity University Hamburg, marked the conclusion of the project, which has been developing an AI-supported evaluation tool for DIPAS procedures since 2023.

Thematic working groups discussed, among other things, how large language models can help evaluate citizen contributions, how information from texts can be better linked to locations in the city, and what opportunities and limitations exist when introducing new AI tools in institutions. The event was rounded off by Prof. Michael Batty (UCL). In his keynote speech, he showed how digital twins, together with AI, can open up new possibilities for making planning processes transparent and citizen participation more understandable.

DIPAS_analytics is designed to efficiently evaluate and structure large amounts of feedback from the urban community. The new function is now being intensively tested in selected DIPAS procedures in Hamburg and will eventually be made available to the DIPAS user community.

(c) Angela Pfeiffer