DEMONSTRATING THE APPLICATION OF DIGITAL TWINS IN URBAN PLANNING: ENSURING CITIZEN CENTRIC IMPACT

Organizers

William Hynes, KPMG Future Analytics
Razgar Ebrahimy, Danish Technological University
Aoife Doyle, KPMG Future Analytics

Contributors

Ivy Yang, Open and Agile Smart Cities (OASC)
Martin Traunmuller, Austrian Institute of Technology
Ali Hainoun, Austrian Institute of Technology
Mani Dhingra, University College Dublin
Benedetta Barchi, RINA Consulting
John Sheils, KPMG Future Analytics

Digital Twin (DT) technology revolutionises urban and spatial planning, providing dynamic, real-time digital replicas of physical environments. This technology enables planners to simulate, analyse, and optimise urban spaces. By integrating data from various sources, such as models, sensors and IoT devices, DTs offer a comprehensive view of urban systems, facilitating informed decision-making. 

Incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data analytics, DTs can predict and maximise opportunities within cities, including areas of growth, locations for investment, and mitigate traffic congestion, pollution, and infrastructural damage. This AI synergy enhances the accuracy and efficiency of urban planning, ensuring sustainable and resilient cities. 

This proposed roundtable session draws on lessons from multiple European Commission funded DT research projects from across Europe including BIPED (Building Intelligent Positive Energy Districts), TIPS4PED and Twin4Resilience.  

Reflections from BIPED, funded under Horizon Europe, will demonstrate how DTs assist urban planners in navigating the energy transition and decarbonisation requirements within their city/urban environments. BIPED's ambition is to manage this transition by developing and scaling Positive Energy Districts (PEDs), a key building block in achieving city-wide climate neutrality, in the city of Aarhus, Denmark (and other cities in turn). At the core of the solution lies the advanced digital twin technology complete with AI-driven optimisation tools for better urban planning and citizen engagement.  

TIPS4PED is a Horizon Europe project designed to showcase an Integrated Assessment Platform (IAP) that will help municipalities in the creation of PEDs. This platform will empower cities to make informed decisions by enabling the design, development, and efficient management of PEDs using DT technology. With an intuitive dashboard, users can easily visualise different scenarios and results. Furthermore, the TIPS4PED platform will incorporate AI-driven modules, designed to optimise the creation and management of PEDs, while also integrating smaller-scale management tools like Building Management Systems (BMS) to enhance overall performance. 

Twin4Resilience (T4R), INTERREG North-West Europe co-funded project, brings together 14 partners from 6 European countries to explore the use of Local Digital Twin (LDT) for a wide variety of applications in urban areas. Moving away from technology-driven solutions, T4R focusses on wider uptake of LDTs through a jointly developed resilient implementation strategy comprising 4 transformative frameworks – technical design, governance, ethics/inclusion/democratisation, and training. Dublin, one of the pilot and frontrunner cities, will highlight various challenges and ethical dilemmas which need to be addressed before/during the implementation of LDT projects and use cases. It will also share best (data) governance practices for an inclusive and democratic approach to LDTs. 

This roundtable will explore how applied methodologies facilitate the development of smart, sustainable societies by enabling precise modelling and simulation of urban environments. Our roundtable consisting of DT experts and urban/ spatial planners will explore how DTs can enable urban planners and other built environment specialists to predict and optimise energy usage, reduce emissions, and enhance the overall quality of urban life for the betterment of the citizens and the whole of society.

Key words: N/A