Agentic Cities
Exploring how autonomous AI agents could support the cities of the future
An agentic city is an urban network where autonomous AI agents could support citizens, businesses, public services and infrastructure in a trusted, interoperable and responsible way.
Starting from Milan as a first pilot context, the Chapter aims to define a possible development roadmap for agentic cities that can be tested, refined and adapted to other urban and territorial contexts.
What are Agentic Cities?
Agentic cities are urban ecosystems where autonomous AI agents could interact across digital services, organizations and infrastructures to support people, businesses and public institutions.
In an agentic city scenario, AI agents would not operate as isolated applications. They would be able to discover relevant services, exchange information, coordinate actions and support decision-making across multiple urban domains.
This could include areas such as mobility, healthcare, energy, public administration, tourism, finance, education, safety, environment and local services.
The concept of agentic cities builds on the broader vision of the Internet of AI Agents: an open and decentralized ecosystem where autonomous agents can communicate, collaborate and generate value across systems.
Starting from Milan as a first pilot
Milan has been identified as the first pilot context for the Chapter's research on agentic cities.
As one of Italy's most advanced urban innovation ecosystems, Milan offers a relevant environment to explore how Agentic AI could support the evolution of digital services, public-private collaboration and citizen-centric innovation.
The Chapter's objective is to use Milan as a starting point to define a possible development roadmap for agentic cities.
This roadmap should help identify the enabling conditions, priority domains, governance questions and collaboration models required to test, refine and eventually adapt the approach to other cities and territorial contexts.
Milan should therefore be understood as a first pilot and reference case, not as an isolated initiative or as the final destination of the research. Over time, this model can be refined and adapted to other cities and territories, taking into account different levels of digital maturity, governance structures, service ecosystems and local priorities.
Each city has its own characteristics. For this reason, the objective is not to create a one-size-fits-all model, but to define a flexible framework that can support different urban contexts.
Areas of exploration
Agentic cities require multidisciplinary research across technology, governance, services and social impact. Project NANDA Italy Chapter will explore how autonomous AI agents could support different urban domains while respecting trust, privacy, interoperability and responsible adoption principles.
Mobility
AI agents simplifying access to public services, permits, and benefits for every citizen through coordinated mobility planning and real-time information across providers.
Public Administration
AI agents could support citizens and businesses in navigating public services, accessing information, completing administrative processes and interacting more efficiently with institutions.
Healthcare and Welfare
Agentic systems could improve access to healthcare and welfare services by supporting information discovery, service coordination and guidance across different providers.
Energy and Environment
AI agents could support energy optimization, environmental monitoring, sustainability services and coordination between citizens, utilities and urban infrastructure.
Tourism and Culture
Autonomous agents could help personalize access to cultural services, tourism information, events, mobility options and local experiences within the city ecosystem.
Local Services and Businesses
Agentic cities could create new ways for citizens, businesses and local activities to interact across digital services, commerce, logistics and proximity ecosystems.
Help explore the future of Agentic Cities
Project NANDA Italy Chapter is building a collaborative research path around agentic cities, starting from Milan as a first pilot context.
Researchers, universities, companies, startups, developers, public institutions and contributors can take part in this exploration by contributing perspectives, expertise, use cases, research activities and experimental initiatives.
Join the Chapter and help define how autonomous AI agents could support the cities of the future.