The current study aims to design and optimize the performance of vertical axial turbines (VAWT) for urban cities. Utilizing wind turbines in such conditions faces challenges like weak and turbulent wind circumstances, limited space, and regulations restrictions. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA) were the two key simulation methods to examine the turbine performance. The findings revealed the designed VAWT for urban areas can highly enhance power generation efficiency and empower sustainability. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.