Urla Municipality launched an innovative citizen engagement initiative during the 2026 Urla Artichoke Festival, introducing the “Happy Women Street” mobile application to local residents and visitors. This dissemination activity as part of BIO-INTEL-MOB aimed to raise awareness of the project while encouraging citizens, particularly women, to actively contribute to the design of safer, more inclusive public spaces.
The application enables users to evaluate the streets they use every day by marking them as either “happy” or “unhappy” and identifying specific factors influencing their experience, including cleanliness, lighting, safety, green spaces, and street furniture.
Through a participatory mapping approach, the app transforms individual experiences into actionable data that can support evidence-based urban planning and policy-making.
To maximise visibility and participation, Urla Municipality chose the annual Artichoke Festival as the launch venue. As one of the region’s largest public events, the festival provided access to thousands of residents and visitors in an open and engaging environment. Festival attendees were invited to visit the BIO-INTEL-MOB stand, learn about the project, download the application, and explore its features through live demonstrations. Incentives such as tote bags and pins were offered to encourage participation and facilitate first-time downloads.
The campaign generated strong initial results. According to App Store statistics collected during the first dissemination phase, the application recorded:
- 453 first-time downloads
- 72 re-downloads
- 7,842 app store impressions
- 2,487 product page views
- 18.7% average conversion rate
- 126 app updates installed
These figures demonstrate significant community interest and represent an important step towards BIO-INTEL-MOB’s objective of increasing citizen participation in urban mobility and public space governance. The collected data will help identify areas where residents feel comfortable and safe, as well as locations requiring further attention from local authorities.
The initiative also contributes to the project’s gender dimension. By focusing on women’s perceptions of public space, the application creates a valuable dataset that can support gender-sensitive urban planning and help ensure that public spaces respond to the needs and experiences of all users. The activity aligns with BIO-INTEL-MOB’s commitment to inclusive governance, citizen participation, and evidence-based decision-making.
Following the successful launch, Urla Municipality plans to continue promoting the application through local events and community outreach activities, while exploring opportunities to share the methodology and lessons learned with other BIO-INTEL-MOB pilot cities.
