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Is it possible to promote active and healthy ageing through reconnection with nature using technology? It was based on this idea that the Citizeen app was present in the Geração Coolectiva training programme, which ran for 5 weeks, from January 11 to February 14, in the city of Coimbra.

Geração Coolectiva stands out for being a training programme for citizenship and entrepreneurship, with the objective of testing and implementing different solutions. During the 5 weeks of the programme, dozens of participants, of various ages and profiles, were in contact with Citizeen, an app that is being tested under the European Pharaon project. The OWL, partner of Cáritas Coimbra and MARE-UC in this project, deepened Citizeen’s business idea to boost its long-term sustainability.

The Pharaon project aims to enhance the use of urban green environments by older people by linking the “Challenges of Ageing to Smart Cities”. To this end, an ecosystem of support for older people is being created, which integrates caregivers, public and/or private organizations, and community volunteers. This ecosystem is beneficial for older people, but also for all who integrate it.

Practically, it is intended to achieve this goal using an app on the smartphone: Citizeen. This app uses navigation and Earth observation using satellites and Artificial Intelligence to map green areas (gardens, parks, riverside vegetation, etc.) and blue areas (places with water). All its users can contribute to “feed” this app, including photographs of fauna and flora (biodiversity), places of interest, or suggestions for improvement of the places they visit. In this way, it becomes an app that promotes the active participation of the community, through co-creation. Another advantage of Citizeen is the possibility of perceiving, within these places, the temperature, plant density, and various scientific curiosities.

Citizeen is a playful, intuitive, and rich app, and aims to be an instrument for educating citizens of all ages. At the same time, it sensitizes people to the importance of managing and preserving the blue and green areas of the city, as quality natural areas bring benefits to their well-being and health.

Coimbra is the pilot city for the implementation of this innovative idea. Cáritas Coimbra, MARE-UC, and OWL are challenging the older people (+65 years) of this city to join the Pharaon project and to test the Citizeen app. As part of an ecosystem, volunteers and formal caregivers are also being invited to test this idea, because only as acommunity can the purpose be achieved. Anyone interested in participating in this project or wants more information can fill out this form: EUSurvey – Survey (europa.eu). The Innovation Department of Cáritas Coimbra will follow up and provide the necessary support for the use of this new app: Citizeen.