Assessing the performance and usability of urban digital twins

Abstract

Cities around the world are rapidly adopting digital twin technology to address intricate urban planning issues, to foster more sustainable and efficient urban environments. However, despite this adoption and the recent increase of research on Urban digital twins (UDTs), few studies have been undertaken to examine how UDTs are performing in practice. The current body of literature focuses largely on the technological aspects of UDTs, leaving a research gap. Awareness is needed on what is happening in urban planning practice to help drive focus and prioritize the development of UDTs. Therefore, this paper develops a conceptual framework to assess the performance and usability of UDTs in urban planning. The framework is applied to examine the case studies of Amsterdam, Utrecht and the Province of Utrecht in the Netherlands. Data was obtained through online information and a series of in-depth interviews with key stakeholders. The results show that despite the advancement of this technology, UDTs are having a limited influence on urban planning. The case analysis provides a clear insight into the limitations and challenges. Practical and future research recommendations are given.