In recent years, digital twins of cities have become an important tool in modern urban governance. These virtual models bring together data on transport, climate, infrastructure and residents’ behavior, making it possible to predict the consequences of decisions before they are implemented.
One recent example is Bologna. The city has bet on a so-called “civic layer” — data on the habits, vulnerabilities and behavior of different social groups. This makes it possible to assess not only the effectiveness of decisions, but also their social consequences. For example, when the transport system is changed, the model simulates how this will affect congestion, emissions and access to the city center for older people or residents with limited mobility.
Each city adapts the technology to its own tasks and characteristics. The pioneer in systematic digital modeling is Singapore. Its Virtual Singapore project was presented back in the mid-2010s. Shanghai and Seoul use the technology primarily to manage megacities under heavy load. Rotterdam uses a digital model to forecast flooding and adapt to climate change. Helsinki is developing a digital twin as part of its environmental strategy to monitor air quality, analyze energy consumption and move toward carbon neutrality by 2035. Tallinn uses a digital twin mainly in construction and administration. And one special case is the Indian city of Amaravati: it was designed with a digital twin already at the planning stage.
Cities are gradually learning to manage themselves in the same way large companies manage complex systems: through modeling, analytics and continuous feedback.
