VARCITIES Project Policy Brief: Digital Twins for Greener, Healthier Cities
Through its activities, the VARCITIES project has explored a number of key topics linked with the improvement of health & well-being in urban areas, identifying existing shortcomings, knowledge gaps and the opportunities available for policy stakeholders to address them. In its series of policy and technical briefs, VARCITIES presents critical recommendations. This policy brief on Digital Twins for Greener, Healthier Cities was prepared by the ISOCARP Institute together with IES, another VARCITIES’ project partner. It provides policy stakeholders interested in the question key recommendations on the topic.
Urban Digital Twins
WHAT IS A DIGITAL TWIN?
Since its introduction in 2022, the concept of Digital Twins, a virtual replica of a physical asset, has gained traction across diverse sectors as these virtual models allow for real-time monitoring, analysis, and optimization based on continuous data updates from their physical counterparts [Gupta. 2024]. Initially conceived for product life-cycle management, their applications have expanded through advancements in data analytics, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to now provide accurate simulations, predict outcomes, and optimize performance across various industries [Gupta. 2024].
The application of digital twins to urban planning and development is currently being discussed and researched at length. Such ‘urban digital twins’ have gained prominence for their potential to transform how cities work, as they have been deployed in use cases to manage physical built environment assets such as buildings and infrastructure, focusing primarily on monitoring and optimizing energy consumption, where they offer direct return on investment through energy efficiency and cost savings.
WHAT CAN THEY OFFER TO URBAN DEVELOPMENT?
By combining different forms of urban data from sources such as sensors and satellites, urban digital twins are now able to offer a comprehensive replica of the urban environment, reflecting the properties, conditions and behaviour of complex urban systems (mobility, waste and water management, economic flux, ecosystems services, heating and cooling networks, irrigation systems, etc.). They have the potential to provide municipalities with a new lens to explore and envision future scenarios, facilitating responsive urban initiatives and informing decision-making processes [Wolters, B. M. (2023)].
VARCITIES Health & Well-Being Platform is a notable example, with the digital twins of seven pilot sites offering real-time data on a number of health and well-being parameters.
Interested? Read the full version in the link below.
