Urban Digital Twins (UDTs) are reshaping how cities are planned and managed. These virtual city replicas combine data from multiple sources to test urban plans digitally before they are implemented in the real world. By offering real-time and future projections, UDTs empower cities to make evidence-based decisions that improve citizens’ lives.
Particularly valuable for addressing challenges like climate change, sustainable mobility and resilience, UDTs provide a data-driven approach to optimising city resources and enhancing urban governance.
Recognising the transformative potential of digital twins, Eurocities and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) co-hosted a training programme for cities in November 2024. The training was carried out as part of of the vCity project, led by the Data Analysis and Visualisation Group of the Barcelona Supercomputing Center.
The event aimed to equip city officials with the knowledge and tools needed to develop and implement UDTs in their own decision-making processes.
The training focused on key areas such as understanding UDT capabilities, addressing institutional barriers, ensuring data privacy compliance, and building city data infrastructures. The programme featured hands-on workshops and peer-to-peer learning, supporting a community of practice among city officials.
“This training was an opportunity to exchange experiences with colleagues from across Europe,” said Tomasz Frelek, a participant from Oslo, Norway. “It allowed us to reflect on what our departments and citizens truly need and how digital twins can help address those needs.”
Barcelona: Leading digital twin innovation
Barcelona is at the forefront of digital twin technology, thanks to its Barcelona Supercomputing Center, which is home to MareNostrum 5 – one of Europe’s most advanced supercomputers.
The MareNostrum supports cutting-edge research in areas like climate science, bioinformatics, and data-intensive modeling, making it an invaluable tool for processing the datasets required for UDTs.
The city has leveraged this technology to build a digital twin platform assessing its alignment with the 15-minute city model. This enables planners to evaluate service accessibility and equitable urban development, ensuring more sustainable city planning.
“Barcelona’s leadership demonstrates how advanced technology can be harnessed to create smarter, more liveable cities,” said Diana Kobe from Riga, Latvia. “It’s inspiring to see how a vision can drive meaningful innovation.”
“Better informed decisions for our cities”
Participants praised the training for its collaborative approach and practical takeaways.
Karlien Perdieus from Leuven, Belgium, shared her strategic approach. “The key takeaway for me is to start small, using high-quality datasets, and expand later,” explained Karlien. “This allows us to test scenarios and make better-informed decisions for our city.”
Tomasz Frelek reflected on how UDTs address real-world problems. “This is a concept we have to work on more,” he said. “We need to scope what we want to solve and pick the right cases that truly address citizen and departmental needs.”
Louis Macquet from Lille highlighted the importance of flexibility. “Each problem requires its own solution,” he stated. “For instance, macro-scale projects might need accurate cartography, while micro-scale developments like new buildings require detailed 3D models. You must adapt solutions to specific use cases.”
Emphasising the importance of scalability, Diana Kobe stated: “If one city solves a problem, that solution can often be scaled to others. We share so many challenges, and this shared vision gives us potential to create impactful solutions.”
Paving the way for innovative urban development
By equipping city officials with the skills to harness digital twins, the Barcelona Supercomputing Center and Eurocities are paving the way for smarter, more sustainable urban development.
This training programme, run as part of the Eurocities Academy, reflects a growing recognition of the need for digital innovation in city governance and underscores the transformative potential of Urban Digital Twins.
Other cities are also using UDTs to innovate and solve urban challenges. The City of Bologna, for instance, is developing an ambitious digital twin that integrates physical infrastructure, social interactions, and urban systems. The technology supports decision-making in mobility, energy and climate adaptation.
And Munich’s interactive digital twin incorporates artificial intelligence to provide practical insights. From assessing the feasibility of solar panels, to evaluating public transport accessibility for cultural sites, Munich’s approach enhances citizen engagement and supports green initiatives.
“These examples show how digital twins can be tailored to meet specific challenges,” noted Louis Macquet. “Whether addressing large-scale infrastructure or micro-scale projects, cities must adapt their digital twin solutions to suit diverse needs.”
As cities embrace digital twins, initiatives like this training programme are vital for fostering collaboration and building capacity.
With shared expertise and tailored solutions, European cities are poised to address urban challenges more effectively, creating better, more liveable environments for all.
