The digital twin in urban planning and management: A key asset in addressing the challenges presented by on-going climate changes

Abstract

The increasing digitalization across all fields is equally evident in urban planning and management (UPM). Contemporary cities, facing rapid urbanization and the ongoing impacts of climate change, require extensive urban requalification. This process involves managing vast amounts of information, addressing socially sensitive issues, and implementing precise, contextualized, yet robust, and effective physical interventions and policy making. This study examined the potential protagonist role of Digital Twins (DTs) in this “digital” transformation of cities. Through an extensive literature review, today’s UPM challenges were characterized, and a conceptual and technological alignment of a DT was provided. An objective case study of notable examples already in practice suggests that DTs offer invaluable resources, such as intuitive access to accurate, up-to-date information, technological integration, participatory management, and realistic simulations of projects, and what-if scenarios. Therefore, DTs are a key asset for urban development towards Energy Efficiency, Environmental Sustainability, Disaster Management and Urban Resilience.

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ORCID for Stephanie Gauthier: orcid.org/0000-0002-1720-1736

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