Cited by 622Smart Cities and Technologies3D Modeling in Geospatial ApplicationsGeographic Information Systems Studies

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 23 of the 29 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 3 of the 10 sources its claims cite were checked for support.

Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany

Open access

Dembski, Fabian, Wössner, Uwe, Letzgus, Mike, Ruddat, Michael, Yamu, Claudia·2020·Sustainability

DOI 10.3390/su12062307

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Abstract

Cities are complex systems connected to economic, ecological, and demographic conditions and change. They are also characterized by diverging perceptions and interests of citizens and stakeholders. Thus, in the arena of urban planning, we are in need of approaches that are able to cope not only with urban complexity but also allow for participatory and collaborative processes to empower citizens. This to create democratic cities. Connected to the field of smart cities and citizens, we present in this paper, the prototype of an urban digital twin for the 30,000-people town of Herrenberg in Germany. Urban digital twins are sophisticated data models allowing for collaborative processes. The herein presented prototype comprises (1) a 3D model of the built environment, (2) a street network model using the theory and method of space syntax, (3) an urban mobility simulation, (4) a wind flow simulation, and (5) a number of empirical quantitative and qualitative data using volunteered geographic information (VGI). In addition, the urban digital twin was implemented in a visualization platform for virtual reality and was presented to the general public during diverse public participatory processes, as well as in the framework of the “Morgenstadt Werkstatt” (Tomorrow’s Cities Workshop). The results of a survey indicated that this method and technology could significantly aid in participatory and collaborative processes. Further understanding of how urban digital twins support urban planners, urban designers, and the general public as a collaboration and communication tool and for decision support allows us to be more intentional when creating smart cities and sustainable cities with the help of digital twins. We conclude the paper with a discussion of the presented results and further research directions.

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

The authors built a prototype urban digital twin for the 30,000-person town of Herrenberg, Germany, combining a 3D city model, space syntax street network analysis, SUMO mobility simulation, OpenFOAM airflow and pollution simulation, sensor-network environmental data, and volunteered geographic information, all visualized in VR via COVISE/OpenCOVER. A survey of 39 participants found the model was judged very positively and that most respondents believed virtual urban models could improve local planning and participation.

Key findings

The Herrenberg digital twin prototype integrates eight components: (1) a 3D model of the built environment, (2) a space syntax street network model, (3) a SUMO urban mobility simulation, (4) an OpenFOAM air-flow simulation, (5) a pollution simulation using sensor data, (6) empirical quantitative pedestrian/cyclist route data, (7) empirical qualitative social data on place perception, and (8) photographic documentation.
In the participant survey (n = 39, ages 16–80), the model was rated positively on a −3.00 to +3.00 polarity profile: interesting (+2.54), comprehensible (+2.37), concrete (+2.14), clearly arranged (+1.92), entertaining (+1.89), and simple (+1.56).
95% of respondents stated virtual urban models could have a positive effect on local planning, and 97% on public participatory processes.
Respondents with prior participation experience (46% as citizens, 13% as official local representatives) rated the model more positively on five of six attributes; the exception was "complicated–simple," where the experienced group judged it more complicated.
Nine traffic-planning scenarios for reducing congestion and pollution in the city core were tested alongside the 2018 status quo road network.

Methods

Empirical and computational mixed-method design: a prototype urban digital twin was constructed for Herrenberg and embedded in the collaborative visualization environment COVISE, rendered through OpenCOVER for CAVE and head-mounted display VR.
Data sources: regional DEM and digital building model (Landesamt für Geoinformation und Landentwicklung Baden-Württemberg) supplemented by Faro Focus 3D S 120 laser scans of the medieval center (May 2017); BIM data for the "Seeländer Areal" building; a citizen-science sensor network measuring PM 2.5/10, temperature, and humidity via the LuftdatenInfo platform; and the "Reallabor Tracker" mobile app (based on OSM Tracker) for VGI routes, place ratings, photos, and audio.
Space syntax analysis used normalized angular choice (NACH) computed in depthmapX; mobility simulation used SUMO; wind flow and pollution simulations used OpenFOAM. Evaluation used a nine-question questionnaire with polarity profiles and open questions, yielding 39 responses.

Limitations

Stated by the authors: the survey sample was small and non-representative; only respondents' views were captured, with no knowledge of how the models perform under real-life conditions; a full end-to-end test within an actual planning process would be needed; and the links respondents drew to former participation formats were made by the research team, so results should be treated with caution.
Stated by the authors: as a model, the urban digital twin cannot include all information from the physical world, and there remains a need for additional social, economic, and environmental data (citing Batty 2018).
Evident from the text: the participatory evaluation was conducted in a single German town and the authors describe their own impression that participation "proceeded well" as subjective; obtaining comprehensive BIM data was difficult due to complex responsibilities.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.3390/su12062307

Cites

23 of 23 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

3 of 10 cited sources checked · 2 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“The application of the theory and method of space syntax, which utilizes a graph theoretical approach, allowed us to analyze the through movement potentials for cars and pedestrians using the measure of normalized angular choice (NACH).”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 3. Methods and Data
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [21] Yamu, C., Poplin, A., Devisch, O., and De Roo, G. (2018). Space Syntax: A method to measure urban space related to social, economic and cognitive factors. The Virtual and the Real in Planning and Urban Design: Perspectives, Practices and Applications, Routledge. source
- Partly supported
  The book’s About this book section describes space syntax as a method for urban analysis, and its chapter list includes “Analysing Linear Spatial Relationships: The Measures of Connectivity, Integration, and Choice” (pp. 35–86). The available passages do not explain normalized angular choice (NACH) or establish its use to assess through-movement potential for both cars and pedestrians; searches for those terms found no such passage. The citing authors’ statement that the method “allowed us” to conduct their analysis is their own account, not a result attributed to the book. (LLM, conf=0.77)
  cites [22] Van Nes, A., and Yamu, C. (2020). Introduction to Space Syntax in Urban Studies, Springer. sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibrated
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“These technologies can enhance discussion and help build consensus among stakeholders [3].”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 1. Introduction
What the sources say
- Supported
  The Introduction states that virtual reality environments can enhance discussion and help build consensus among stakeholders. Section 4.4 also reports that virtual models may improve interaction between citizens and local representatives, while cautioning that their effects in real planning processes need further testing. (LLM, conf=0.95)
  cites [3] Dembski, F., Wössner, U., and Yamu, C. (2019, January 8–13). Digital Twin, Virtual Reality and Space Syntax: Civic engagement and decision support for smart, sustainable cities. Proceedings of the 12th International Space Syntax Conference, Beijing, China. source
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibrated
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes

Show all 24 claims

It may state two separate claims as one. 24
Probably not a substantial claim. 31
The quote only partly states this claim. 1

Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Using an urban digital twin in virtual reality is not only a novel way of using smart technologies for collaborative planning processes, but also facilitates consensus-building among participants with different backgrounds [3].”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 1. Introduction
What the sources say
- Supported
  The Introduction states the claim nearly verbatim: it describes using an urban digital twin in virtual reality as novel for collaborative planning and as facilitating consensus-building among participants with different backgrounds. (LLM, conf=0.95)
  cites [3] Dembski, F., Wössner, U., and Yamu, C. (2019, January 8–13). Digital Twin, Virtual Reality and Space Syntax: Civic engagement and decision support for smart, sustainable cities. Proceedings of the 12th International Space Syntax Conference, Beijing, China. source
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibrated
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Hence, experienced groups can implicitly or explicitly compare these classical formats with the urban digital twin model of Herrenberg.”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 4.4. Discussion of results
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibrated
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes
Probably not a substantial claim.
- The authors state this as an assumption: Participatory processes are still mainly carried out using 2D city representations like plans and planning concepts in mainly technical and/or expert language.
- The authors state this as an assumption: Virtual, interactive models remain uncommon in the context of urban planning processes.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Furthermore, the visualization in virtual reality (“virtual twin”) not only enables broad citizen participation but also collaboration between stakeholders.”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 1. Introduction
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibrated
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: The advantage of using virtual reality environments is that different participants with diverging professional and personal backgrounds can be informed simultaneously.
In the paper
“Digital twins enable comprehensive data exchange and can contain models, simulations, and algorithms describing their counterpart, including its features and behavior in the real world [2].”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 1. Introduction
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [2] Kuhn, 2018, Digitaler Zwilling, Informatik Spektrum source
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibrated
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passes
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“This is especially helpful in participatory processes to facilitate communication, to involve large heterogeneous groups of citizens, and, consequently, to build consensus.”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 5. Conclusions
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibrated
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✗ Checkable: fails✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence.
- Rests on an assumption: Some complex data are difficult or impossible to understand in any other form, especially for laymen or for people unfamiliar with the subject.
In the paper
“Digital tools can support citizen participation, but must be embedded in ʺserious dialoguesʺ that are valued by policymakers [25].”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 4.2. Participatory and Collaborative Planning with Urban Digital Twins
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [25] Renn, O., Ulmer, F., and Deckert, A. (2020). Digital tools in stakeholder participation for the Germany Energy Transition. Can digital tools improve participation and its outcome?. The Role of Public Participation in Energy Transitions, Academic Press Imprint. source
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibrated
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✗ Checkable: fails✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes
Probably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“This simulation uses a microscopic, space continuous, and time discrete car-following and lane-changing model [23].”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 3. Methods and Data
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [23] 2010, Traffic Simulation with SUMO—Simulation of Urban Mobiliy, Fundamentals of Traffic Simulation source
Strength:plain· not yet calibrated
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passes
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The prototype of a digital twin for urban planning, set up in Herrenberg, has the potential to tackle urban complexity by visualizing complex processes and dependencies in urban systems, simulating possible outcomes, and impacts and taking into account the heterogeneous needs and requirements of its citizens by enabling participatory and collaborative planning.”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 2. Background: The Smart(er) City
Load-bearingStrength:hedged· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibratedSingle case
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✗ Based: fails
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: Conventional planning tools and methods fail to deal with the complexity of urban systems, as well as with the understanding of citizen needs and requirements.
In the paper
“Furthermore, Batty (2018) stated that there remains a strong need for additional social, economic, and environmental data [1].”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 5. Conclusions
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [1] Batty, 2018, Digital twins, Environ. Plan. B Urban Anal. City Sci. source
Load-bearingStrength:boosted· not yet calibrated
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes
Probably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“In general, the Stuttgart hinterland can be characterized by a high traffic volume, mainly due to the high dependency on commuting, fragmented communities, and a lack of spatial governance [24].”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 4.1. Case Study: The Town of Herrenberg, Germany
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites [24] Brenner Ingenieurgesellschaft GmbH (2014). Verkehrsvarianten zur Entlastung der Innenstadt, Stadt Herrenberg. Report.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibrated
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passes
It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The urban digital twin, as set up in Herrenberg, embraces both.”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 5. Conclusions
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedSingle case
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes
It may state two separate claims as one.
- Rests on an assumption: Smart city projects demand two crucial competencies: an understanding of the impact of implementing digital technologies in the context of urban systems, and integrating solutions that overcome departmental thinking.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Following this assumption, the fact that the model is judged more positively on five of the six dimensions by people with prior experience compared to people without this experience leads to the conclusion that virtual models have the potential to improve participatory processes.”
§ Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany > 4.4. Discussion of results
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:conditional· not yet calibrated
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes
It may state two separate claims as one.
- The authors state this as an assumption: Participatory processes are still mainly carried out using 2D city representations like plans and planning concepts in mainly technical and/or expert language.
- The authors state this as an assumption: Virtual, interactive models remain uncommon in the context of urban planning processes.

46 of 46

The paper relies on this without support.
Herrenberg's historical core is strongly affected by car traffic due to earlier planning decisions and implementation.
“Its historical core, however, is strongly affected by car traffic due to earlier planning decisions and implementation.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Conventional planning tools and methods fail to deal with the complexity of urban systems, as well as with the understanding of citizen needs and requirements.
“Conventional planning tools and methods fail to deal with the complexity of urban systems, as well as with the understanding of citizen needs and requirements.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The advantage of using virtual reality environments is that different participants with diverging professional and personal backgrounds can be informed simultaneously.
“The advantage of using virtual reality environments-such as stereoscopic back projection units, large 3D display respectively tiled display systems or CAVEs (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment), for example-is that different participants with diverging professional and personal backgrounds can be informed simultaneously.”
The authors state this as an assumption.
Participatory processes are still mainly carried out using 2D city representations like plans and planning concepts in mainly technical and/or expert language.
“We suspect that participatory processes are still mainly carried out using 2D city representations like plans and planning concepts in mainly technical and/or expert language.”
The authors state this as an assumption.
Virtual, interactive models remain uncommon in the context of urban planning processes.
“Virtual, interactive models remain uncommon in the context of urban planning processes.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The town of Herrenberg is affected by a high traffic load and a certain amount of air pollution.
“The town located in the peri-urban region of Stuttgart is affected by a high traffic load and, consequently, a certain amount of air pollution.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Only a few smart city projects have been singularly successful.
“it is not surprising that only a few have been singularly successful.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Smart city projects demand two crucial competencies: an understanding of the impact of implementing digital technologies in the context of urban systems, and integrating solutions that overcome departmental thinking.
“Smart city projects demand two crucial competencies: an understanding of the impact of implementing digital technologies in the context of urban systems, and integrating solutions that overcome departmental thinking.”
The paper relies on this without support.
If these competencies are not taken into account, the great potential of digital technologies and solutions remains unused.
“If these competencies are not taken into account, the great potential of digital technologies and solutions remains unused.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Some complex data are difficult or impossible to understand in any other form, especially for laymen or for people unfamiliar with the subject.
“Some complex data are difficult or impossible to understand in any other form, especially for laymen or for people unfamiliar with the subject.”

10 of 10

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Arnstein citation points to a Glaeser reference
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The text attributes the cited point to Arnstein (1969), but reference [4] lists a 2006 work by Glaeser and colleagues.

1 of 1

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Nam, T., & Pardo, T. A. (2011) · Annual International Conference on Digital Government Research · doi:10.1145/2037556.2037602 · Cited by 2,885 · cited 1×
“Some authors are combining the sustainable and smart city approach [16–18], and for others, the concept is considered to be a response to global climate change or a step in an e ﬀ ort to make city management more e ﬀ ective, or even to try to attract more Y and Z generations, which are often seen…”
Background
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“…active shutter glasses [5] for the participants (photo credited to Dembski, 2019). tracking system [2], computer [3,4], a 3D-projector, and active shutter glasses [5] for the participants Citizen participation using the digital twin in VR proceeded well; at least that was our subjective opinion.”
BackgroundInfluential
A Smart City Initiative: the Case of Barcelona
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Smart Cities: Quality of Life, Productivity, and the Growth Effects of Human Capital
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“The definition of the matter ranges from the interrelationship between the education of the urban population, local amenities and attractiveness for educated citizens [11,12], and emphasizing the importance of the creative class [13] up to theories describing cities or projects that use information and communication t…”
Background
Bohemia and economic geography
Florida, R. L. (2002) · Journal of Economic Geography · doi:10.1093/jeg/2.1.55 · Cited by 784 · cited 1×
“…of the urban population, local amenities and attractiveness for educated citizens [11,12], and emphasizing the importance of the creative class [13] up to theories describing cities or projects that use information and communication technologies in order to improve the life quality of their…”
Background
Why does democracy need education?
Glaeser, E. L., Ponzetto, G. A. M., & Shleifer, A. (2007) · Journal of Economic Growth · doi:10.1007/s10887-007-9015-1 · Cited by 723
Digital twins
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“Furthermore, Batty (2018) stated that there remains a strong need for additional social, economic, and environmental data [1].”
Background
Urban Resurgence and the Consumer City
Glaeser, E. L., & Gottlieb, J. D. (2006) · Urban Studies · doi:10.1080/00420980600775683 · Cited by 439
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“…and ethical implications of the development of these digital technologies, as well as the growing inﬂuence of technology giants on city economics, the freedom and privacy of its inhabitants [19] are a separate issue and not taken into account adequately within many of these deﬁnitions and concepts.”
Background

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6 of the 29 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 2

Caragliu, A., Del Bo, C., and Nijkamp, P. (2009, January 7–9). Smart Cities in Europe. Proceedings of the 3rd Central European Conference in Regional Science, Košice, Slovakia.
Renn, O., Ulmer, F., and Deckert, A. (2020). Digital tools in stakeholder participation for the Germany Energy Transition. Can digital tools improve participation and its outcome?. The Role of Public Participation in Energy Transitions, Academic Press Imprint.

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What Have Urban Digital Twins Contributed to Urban Planning and Decision Making? From a Systematic Literature Review Toward a Socio-Technical Research and Development Agenda
Azadi, S., Kasraian, D., Nourian, P., & van Wesemael, P. J. V. (2025) · Smart Cities · doi:10.3390/smartcities8010032 · Cited by 37
“Participatory approaches were not common either, with 26 articles focusing solely on technical or governmental stakeholders, 29 only considering hypothetical stakeholders, 10 only considering hypothetical citizens, and only 3 involving citizens in their studies [24,64,65].”
Optimizing vehicle dynamics co-simulation performance by introducing mesoscopic traffic simulation
Varga, B., Doba, D., & Tettamanti, T. (2023) · Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory · doi:10.1016/j.simpat.2023.102739 · Cited by 34
Urban digital twin-based solution using geospatial information for solid waste management
Cárdenas-León, I., Koeva, M., Nourian, P., & Davey, C. (2024) · Sustainable Cities and Society · doi:10.1016/j.scs.2024.105798 · Cited by 44
Exploring the convergence of Metaverse, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, and digital twin for pioneering the digitization in the envision smart grid 3.0
Adnan, M., Ahmed, I., Iqbal, S., Fazal, M. R., Siddiqi, S. J., & Tariq, M. H. (2024) · Computers & Electrical Engineering · doi:10.1016/j.compeleceng.2024.109709 · Cited by 44
USE CASES FOR DISTRICT-SCALE URBAN DIGITAL TWINS
Alva, P., Biljecki, F., & Stouffs, R. M. F. A. (2022) · The international archives of the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences/International archives of the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences · doi:10.5194/isprs-archives-xlviii-4-w4-2022-5-2022 · Cited by 35
“Several attempts have been made to establish smart city DTs through the use of precise BIM and big data (Dembski et al., 2020).”
Background
Towards Urban Digital Twins: A Workflow for Procedural Visualization Using Geospatial Data
Somanath, S., Naserentin, V., Eleftheriou, O., Sjölie, D., Wästberg, B. S., & Logg, A. (2024) · Remote Sensing · doi:10.3390/rs16111939 · Cited by 46
“These tools, such as maps and 3D models, serve as a medium for indirect interaction, influencing decision making, and can facilitate effective communication among different stakeholders, such as citizens, businesses, and government agencies [37–40].”
Method
Digital twin-enabled regional food supply chain: A review and research agenda
Monteiro, J., & Barata, J. (2025) · Journal of Industrial Information Integration · doi:10.1016/j.jii.2025.100851 · Cited by 33
The uptake of urban digital twins in the built environment: a pathway to resilient and sustainable cities
Omrany, H., Mehdipour, A., Oteng, D., & Al-Obaidi, K. M. (2025) · Computational Urban Science · doi:10.1007/s43762-025-00177-x · Cited by 38
“Therefore, several gaps are highlighted such as economic and financial considerations are critical to ensuring the financial sustainability and scalability of UDT projects (Dembski et al., 2020; Quek et al., 2023).”
On generative models as the basis for digital twins
Tsialiamanis, G., Wagg, D. J., Dervilis, N., & Worden, K. (2021) · Data-Centric Engineering · doi:10.1017/dce.2021.13 · Cited by 27
“For example, attempts have been made to do this in the ﬁelds of manufacturing [30, 40], control systems & the internet of things [31], smart cities [7], social networks, and management [21] — more detailed literature reviews and descriptions of state-of-the-art research relating to digital twins…”
Background
Potential of the Geometric Layer in Urban Digital Twins
Scalas, A., Cabiddu, D., Mortara, M., & Spagnuolo, M. (2022) · ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information · doi:10.3390/ijgi11060343 · Cited by 38
Use Cases for Digital Twin
Shah, I. A., Sial, Q., Jhanjhi, N. Z., & Gaur, L. (2022) · Advances in medical technologies and clinical practice book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-6684-5925-6.ch007 · Cited by 32
Developing an assessment governance framework for urban digital twins: Insights from smart cities
Diaz‐Sarachaga, J. M. (2024) · Cities · doi:10.1016/j.cities.2024.105558 · Cited by 31
Potentials of digital twin system for analyzing travel behavior decisions
Aghaabbasi, M., & Sabri, S. (2024) · Travel Behaviour and Society · doi:10.1016/j.tbs.2024.100902 · Cited by 31
Integrating Social Dimensions into Urban Digital Twins: A Review and Proposed Framework for Social Digital Twins
Qanazi, S., Leclerc, É., & Bosredon, P. (2025) · Smart Cities · doi:10.3390/smartcities8010023 · Cited by 38
An Overview of Digital Twins Application in Smart Energy Grids
Cioara, T., Anghel, I. M., Antal, M., Antal, C., Arcas, G. I., & Croce, V. (2022) · IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Computer Communication and Processing (ICCP) · doi:10.1109/iccp56966.2022.10053945 · Cited by 35
The integration of digital twin and serious game framework for new normal virtual urban exploration and social interaction
Wang, S.-M., & Lan, V. H. (2023) · Journal of Urban Management · doi:10.1016/j.jum.2023.03.001 · Cited by 30
Federated Data Modeling for Built Environment Digital Twins
Moretti, N., Xie, X., García, J. M., Chang, J. Y., & Parlikad, A. K. (2023) · Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering · doi:10.1061/jccee5.cpeng-4859 · Cited by 29
Survey on digital twins for natural environments: A communication network perspective
Maimour, M., Ahmed, A., & Rondeau, É. (2024) · Internet of Things · doi:10.1016/j.iot.2024.101070 · Cited by 34
Enhanced Inclusion through Advanced Immersion in Cultural Heritage: A Holistic Framework in Virtual Museology
Anastasovitis, E., Γεωργίου, Γ., Matinopoulou, E., Nikolopoulos, S., Kompatsiaris, I. Y., & Roumeliotis, Μ. (2024) · Electronics · doi:10.3390/electronics13071396 · Cited by 31
An Urban Digital Twin Framework for Reference and Planning
Supianto, A. A., Nasar, W., Aspen, D. M., Hasan, A., Karlsen, A., & Torres, R. D. S. (2024) · IEEE Access · doi:10.1109/access.2024.3478379 · Cited by 28
“Includes academic researchers [51], [69], along with other R&D consultants and experts [56].”
BackgroundInfluential
The Role of the IoT and Digital Twin in the Healthcare Digitalization Process
Shah, I. A., Sial, Q., Jhanjhi, N. Z., & Gaur, L. (2022) · Advances in medical technologies and clinical practice book series · doi:10.4018/978-1-6684-5925-6.ch002 · Cited by 29
Multi-domain data integration and management for enhancing service-oriented digital twin for infrastructure operation and maintenance
Liu, L., Zeng, N., Liu, Y., Han, D., & König, M. (2024) · Developments in the Built Environment · doi:10.1016/j.dibe.2024.100475 · Cited by 29
The State of the Art in Visual Analytics for 3D Urban Data
Miranda, F., Ortner, T., Moreira, G., Hosseini, M., Vuckovic, M., Biljecki, F., Silva, C. T., Lage, M., & Júnior, N. R. F. (2024) · Computer Graphics Forum · doi:10.1111/cgf.15112 · Cited by 29
“…replicas usually employ 3D visualization to bring together stakeholders and various sources of heterogeneous data, models, and algorithms describing various parts of urban systems such as urban ecology [SH20], transportation [JMB ∗ 22], and economic and social functions [Bat18,DWL ∗ 20,ABB ∗ 21].”
Background
Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for digital twins in the industrial metaverse: Overview, use cases, and open challenges
Hasan, H. R., Madine, M. M., Musamih, A., Jayaraman, R., Salah, K., Yaqoob, I., & Omar, M. (2024) · Computers & Industrial Engineering · doi:10.1016/j.cie.2024.110315 · Cited by 34
Design Technology and AI-Based Decision Making Model for Digital Twin Engineering
Orlova, E. V. (2022) · Future Internet · doi:10.3390/fi14090248 · Cited by 29
Urban digital twins for citizen-centric planning: A systematic review of built environment perception and public participation
Luo, J., Liu, P., Kong, X., et al. (2025) · International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation · doi:10.1016/j.jag.2025.104746 · Cited by 27
A Big Data Platform for Smart and Sustainable Cities: Environmental Monitoring Case Studies in Europe
Garau, C., Nesi, P., Paoli, I., Paolucci, M., & Zamperlin, P. (2020) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-58820-5_30 · Cited by 27
The impact of governance indicators, renewable energy demand, industrialization, and travel & transportation on urbanization: A panel study of selected Asian economies
Akhtar, M. Z., Zaman, K., & Khan, M. A. (2024) · Cities · doi:10.1016/j.cities.2024.105131 · Cited by 26
Enabling Spatial Digital Twins: Technologies, Challenges, and Future Research Directions
Ali, M. E., Cheema, M. A., Hashem, T., Ulhaq, A., & Babar, M. (2023) · PFG – Journal of Photogrammetry Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Science · doi:10.1007/s41064-024-00301-2 · Cited by 38
“Recent research also identi-ﬁes several data acquisition challenges including the large varieties of data, interoperability, and the requirements of huge computing power (Dembski et al. 2020).”
A Digital Twin Framework to Improve Urban Sustainability and Resiliency: The Case Study of Venice
Villani, L., Gugliermetti, L., Barucco, M., & Cinquepalmi, F. (2025) · Land · doi:10.3390/land14010083 · Cited by 54
Local Energy Market-Consumer Digital Twin Coordination for Optimal Energy Price Discovery under Thermal Comfort Constraints
Andriopoulos, N., Plakas, K. A., Mountzouris, C., Gialelis, J., Birbas, A. N., Karatzas, S. K., & Papalexopoulos, A. D. (2023) · Applied Sciences · doi:10.3390/app13031798 · Cited by 27
Towards Efficient Battery Electric Bus Operations: A Novel Energy Forecasting Framework
Würtz, S., Bogenberger, K., Göhner, U., & Rupp, A. (2024) · World Electric Vehicle Journal · doi:10.3390/wevj15010027 · Cited by 28
“As more and more cities around the world are adopting digital twins for city planners, it sometimes include traffic simulation tools [63–65].”
Background
Urban Sustainability and Natural Hazards Management; Designs Using Simulations
Oliveras, P. F., & Ceacero-Moreno, M. (2021) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su13020649 · Cited by 25
“However, we have found few studies similar to ours, apart from one notable work [42] which shows the creation of digital urban twins for the sphere of city planning, in which urban mobility and wind flow are simulated.”
Result
City Digital Twin Concepts: A Vision for Community Participation
Abdeen, F. N., & Sepasgozar, S. M. E. (2022) · doi:10.3390/environsciproc2021012019 · Cited by 25
Digital Twins for Climate-Responsive Urban Development: Integrating Zero-Energy Buildings into Smart City Strategies
Omar, O. (2025) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su17156670 · Cited by 32
Using immersive video technology for construction management content delivery: a pilot study
Shojaei, A., Rokooei, S., Mahdavian, A., Carson, L., & Ford, G. (2021) · Journal of Information Technology in Construction · doi:10.36680/j.itcon.2021.047 · Cited by 26
“Currently, XR technology is being utilized in selected smart cities through a wireless connection (Dembski et al., 2020).”
Method
Leveraging digital twin and game-engine for traffic simulations and visualizations
Rundel, S., & Amicis, R. D. (2023) · Frontiers in Virtual Reality · doi:10.3389/frvir.2023.1048753 · Cited by 24
“A DT is, to some extent, a copy of the real world into a digital model (Dembski et al., 2020).”
BackgroundMethodInfluential
Urban digital twin for assessing and understanding urban Heat Island impacts
Vitanova, L. L., Petrova‐Antonova, D., & Shirinyan, E. (2025) · Urban Climate · doi:10.1016/j.uclim.2025.102530 · Cited by 23
Urban Resource Assessment, Management, and Planning Tools for Land, Ecosystems, Urban Climate, Water, and Materials—A Review
Volk, R., Rambhia, M., Naber, E., et al. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su14127203 · Cited by 23
“, [152]) and a joint modeling environment or interfaces between the sectoral tools, particularly from water, land use, climate, and ecosystems are required to combine the existing data and tools in an adequate and efficient way.”
Background
Toward 3D Property Valuation—A Review of Urban 3D Modelling Methods for Digital Twin Creation
Ying, Y., Koeva, M., Kuffer, M., et al. (2022) · ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information · doi:10.3390/ijgi12010002 · Cited by 23
Using augmented reality in urban planning processes: Sustainable urban transitions through innovative participation
Othengrafen, F., Sievers, L., & Reinecke, E. (2023) · GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society · doi:10.14512/gaia.32.s1.9 · Cited by 23
Characterizing the Role of Geospatial Science in Digital Twins
Metcalfe, J. B., Ellul, C., Morley, J. G., & Stoter, J. (2024) · ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information · doi:10.3390/ijgi13090320 · Cited by 26
The digital twin framework: A roadmap to the development of user- centred digital twin in the built environment
Osama, Z. (2024) · Journal of Building Engineering · doi:10.1016/j.jobe.2024.111081 · Cited by 22
The Future Possibilities and Security Challenges of City Digitalization
Barcík, P., Coufalíková, A., Františ, P., & Vávra, J. (2022) · Smart Cities · doi:10.3390/smartcities6010008 · Cited by 23
Territorial Digital Twins: A key for increasing the community resilience of fragile mountain inner territories?
Chioni, C., Pezzica, C., & Favargiotti, S. (2023) · Sustainable Development · doi:10.1002/sd.2688 · Cited by 22
“…in the field of production engineering as digital representation of systems enriched with real-time information (Grieves, 2014) – to whole towns (Dembski et al., 2020), cities (Batty, 2018; Ketzler et al., 2020), and even nations (i.e., the Netherlands' 3D Baseregister Addresses and Buildings,…”
Background
Conceptual Framework of Information Flow Synchronization Throughout the Building Lifecycle
Raitviir, C.-R., & Lill, I. (2024) · Buildings · doi:10.3390/buildings14072207 · Cited by 21
Sustainable Intelligent Transportation Systems via Digital Twins: A Contextualized Survey
Martínez, V. M. G., Campelo, D. R. D. S., & Ribeiro, M. R. N. (2025) · IEEE Open Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems · doi:10.1109/ojits.2025.3553696 · Cited by 24
“Among the early initiatives showcasing real use cases of DT-ITS, it is worth mentioning the prototype of Herrenberg in Germany [130].”
DIGITAL TWIN FOR INDOOR DISASTER IN SMART CITY: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Shaharuddin, S., Maulud, K. N. A., Rahman, S. A. F. S. A., & Ani, A. I. C. (2022) · The international archives of the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences/International archives of the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences · doi:10.5194/isprs-archives-xlvi-4-w3-2021-315-2022 · Cited by 23
Smart cities and innovations: Addressing user acceptance with virtual reality and Digital Twin City
Michalik, D., Kohl, P., & Kummert, A. (2022) · IET Smart Cities · doi:10.1049/smc2.12042 · Cited by 21
Smart City Solutions from a Societal Perspective—A Case Study
Szczepańska, A., Kaźmierczak, R., & Myszkowska, M. (2023) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph20065136 · Cited by 21
Building materials in a circular economy
Dalton, T., Dorignon, L., Boehme, T., Kempton, L., Iyer‐Raniga, U., Oswald, D., Amirghasemi, M., & Moore, T. (2023) · AHURI Final Report · doi:10.18408/ahuri5328401 · Cited by 26
Seeking a Definition of Digital Twins for Construction and Infrastructure Management
Aragón, A., Arquier, M., Tokdemir, O. B., Enfedaque, A., Alberti, M. G., Lieval, F., Loscos, E., Pavón, R. M., Novischi, D., Legazpi, P. V., et al. (2025) · Applied Sciences · doi:10.3390/app15031557 · Cited by 24
Digital twin technology in electric and self-navigating vehicles: Readiness, convergence, and future directions
Yalavarthy, U. R. S., Kumar, N. B., Babu, A. R. V., Narasipuram, R. P., & Padmanaban, S. (2025) · Energy Conversion and Management X · doi:10.1016/j.ecmx.2025.100949 · Cited by 23
No longer hype, not yet mainstream? Recalibrating city digital twins' expectations and reality: a case study perspective
Calzati, S. (2023) · Frontiers in Big Data · doi:10.3389/fdata.2023.1236397 · Cited by 20
Data integration across urban digital twin lifecycle: a comprehensive review of current initiatives
Jeddoub, I., Nys, G., Hajji, R., et al. (2024) · Annals of GIS · doi:10.1080/19475683.2024.2416135 · Cited by 19
Moving from monitoring to real-time interventions for air quality: are low-cost sensor networks ready to support urban digital twins?
Cowell, N. H., Chapman, L., Topping, D. O., James, P., Bell, D. M., Jr., Bannan, T. J., Murabito, E., Evans, J., & Birkin, M. H. (2025) · Frontiers in Sustainable Cities · doi:10.3389/frsc.2024.1500516 · Cited by 22
SDN-based reliable emergency message routing schema using Digital Twins for adjusting beacon transmission in VANET
Ali, Z. H., El-Rashidy, N. M., Elhosseini, M. A., et al. (2024) · Journal of Network and Computer Applications · doi:10.1016/j.jnca.2024.103944 · Cited by 19
Visualising human life in volumetric cities: City digital twins and other disasters
Rose, G. (2024) · Dialogues in Urban Research · doi:10.1177/27541258241288812 · Cited by 20
“(Hämäläinen, 2021: 6) In short, ‘ 3D city models and digital twin technology assist urban developers in objectifying and forming a shared vision and understanding of the city design subject matter ’ (Hämäläinen, 2021: 6; see also Dembski et al., 2020; Kikuchi et al., 2022).”
Integrating Urban Digital Twin with Cloud-Based Geospatial Dashboard for Coastal Resilience Planning: A Case Study in Florida
Chen, C., Han, Y., Galinski, A., Calle, C., Carney, J. A., Ye, X., & van Westen, C. (2025) · Journal of Planning Education and Research · doi:10.1177/0739456x251316185 · Cited by 21
“Dembski et al. (2020) developed a prototype UDT platform of Herrenberg, Germany, by integrating an urban-built environment, street network based on space syntax, and urban mobility simulation and conducted surveys of participants that are involved in the participatory process for mitigation…”
Comprehensive Survey of the Landscape of Digital Twin Technologies and Their Diverse Applications
Chen, H., Shao, H., Deng, X., Wang, L., & Wang, X. (2023) · Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences · doi:10.32604/cmes.2023.027834 · Cited by 20
Urban 3D Modeling as a Precursor of City Information Modeling and Digital Twin for Smart City Era: A Case Study of the Narmak Neighborhood of Tehran City, Iran
Shariatpour, F., Behzadfar, M., & Zareei, F. (2024) · Journal of Urban Planning and Development · doi:10.1061/jupddm.upeng-4650 · Cited by 25
YOLOTransfer-DT: An Operational Digital Twin Framework with Deep and Transfer Learning for Collision Detection and Situation Awareness in Urban Aerial Mobility
Ywet, N. L., Maw, A. A., Nguyễn, T. A., & Lee, J.-W. (2024) · Aerospace · doi:10.3390/aerospace11030179 · Cited by 21
Meta-pragmatic investigation of passive strategies from ‘UHI– climatology’ nexus perspective with digital twin as assessment mechanism
Elnabawi, M. H., & Raveendran, R. (2024) · Journal of Urban Management · doi:10.1016/j.jum.2024.03.002 · Cited by 20
Digital Twin in Logistics and Supply Chain Management
Cebir, Y., & Akkartal, E. (2024) · Advances in logistics, operations, and management science book series · doi:10.4018/979-8-3693-3575-8.ch008 · Cited by 18
Empowering Government Efficiency Through Civic Intelligence: Merging Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain for Smart Citizen Proposals
Nechesov, A. V., & Ruponen, J. (2024) · Technologies · doi:10.3390/technologies12120271 · Cited by 25
Disruptive Technologies for Efficient and Sustainable Smart Cities
Gade, D. S. (2021) · International Journal of Management Technology and Social Sciences · doi:10.47992/ijmts.2581.6012.0152 · Cited by 17
Understanding Digital Twins for Cyber-Physical Systems: A Conceptual Model
Yue, T., Arcaini, P., & Ali, S. (2021) · Lecture notes in computer science · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-83723-5_5 · Cited by 19
Using a Digital Twin to Study the Influence of Climatic Changes on High Ozone Levels in Bulgaria and Europe
Zlatev, Z., & Dimov, I. (2022) · Atmosphere · doi:10.3390/atmos13060932 · Cited by 17
Privacy‐preserving authentication scheme for digital twin‐enabled autonomous vehicle environments
Chen, C., Miao, Q., Kumar, S., & Wu, T. (2023) · Transactions on Emerging Telecommunications Technologies · doi:10.1002/ett.4751 · Cited by 18
“Dembski et al 27 introduced a prototype DT for 30 000 people in Herrenberg, Germany.”
Background
Insurmountable limitations of city-scale digital twins? On urban knowledge and planning
Moroni, S. (2025) · Computational Urban Science · doi:10.1007/s43762-025-00174-0 · Cited by 19
“On some of these (and other) cases, see Dembski et al. (2020), Ketzler et al. (2020), Schrotter and Hürzeler (2020); Hamalainen (2021); Barcik et al. (2022); Calzati (2023); Boccardo et al. (2024). kinds of explanations for, and predictions of, urban systems.”
Beyond Data, Towards Sustainability: a Sydney Case Study On Urban Digital Twins
Sohail, A., Shen, B., Cheema, M. A., et al. (2025) · PFG – Journal of Photogrammetry Remote Sensing and Geoinformation Science · doi:10.1007/s41064-025-00337-y · Cited by 17
“In this context, the concept of urban digital twin or spatial digital twin [7, 2] has emerged as a powerful tool, enabling researchers and policymakers to create virtual replicas of physical environments.”
BIM, 3D Cadastral Data and AI for Weather Conditions Simulation and Energy Consumption Monitoring
Andritsou, D., Alexiou, C., & Potsiou, C. (2024) · Land · doi:10.3390/land13060880 · Cited by 19
Developing the urban comfort index: Advancing liveability analytics with a multidimensional approach and explainable artificial intelligence
Lei, B., Liu, P., Liang, X., Yan, Y., & Biljecki, F. (2025) · Sustainable Cities and Society · doi:10.1016/j.scs.2024.106121 · Cited by 18
A five-dimensional digital twin framework driven by large language models-enhanced RL for CNC systems
Lin, X., Chen, W., Zhou, Z., Li, J., Zhao, Y., & Zhang, X. (2025) · Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing · doi:10.1016/j.rcim.2025.103009 · Cited by 18
E-participation in energy transitions: What does it mean? Chances and challenges within Germany's Energiewende
Radtke, J. (2024) · Technological Forecasting and Social Change · doi:10.1016/j.techfore.2024.123839 · Cited by 16
Smart and Sustainable Development from a Spatial Planning Perspective: The Case of Shenzhen and Greater Manchester
Ng, M. K., Koksal, C., Wong, C., & Tang, Y. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su14063509 · Cited by 19
VGEs as a New Platform for Urban Modeling and Simulation
Lin, H., Xu, B., Chen, Y., et al. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su14137980 · Cited by 16
Digital twins for intelligent cities: the case study of Matera
Benedictis, R. D., Cesta, A., Pellegrini, R., Diez, M., Pinto, D. M., Ventura, P., Stecca, G., Felici, G., Scalas, A., Mortara, M., et al. (2025) · Journal of Reliable Intelligent Environments · doi:10.1007/s40860-025-00245-3 · Cited by 20
A systematic review of digital twins’ potential for citizen participation and influence in land use agenda-setting
Adade, D., & de Vries, W. T. (2025) · Discover Sustainability · doi:10.1007/s43621-025-01204-x · Cited by 20
“The examples in the results have demonstrated that citizens can interact with the digital twin, tag and report problems or land use issues within the city to local authorities [38, 88].”
The challenges of using live-streamed data in a predictive digital twin
Ward, R. M., Choudary, R., Singh, M. J., et al. (2023) · Journal of Building Performance Simulation · doi:10.1080/19401493.2023.2187463 · Cited by 15
“Another prototype at the city scale is described by Dembski et al. (2020).”
Background
Digital planning practices: benchmarking planners’ use of information and communication technologies (ICTs)
Potts, R., & Webb, B. (2023) · Planning Practice and Research · doi:10.1080/02697459.2023.2216492 · Cited by 15
Unveiling the Power of Stochastic Methods: Advancements in Air Pollution Sensitivity Analysis of the Digital Twin
Todorov, V., & Dimov, I. (2023) · Atmosphere · doi:10.3390/atmos14071078 · Cited by 14
Applications, Approaches, and Ethics of the Extended Reality in Urban Design and Planning
Hajrasouliha, A. H. (2023) · Journal of the American Planning Association · doi:10.1080/01944363.2023.2275123 · Cited by 18
“Dembski et al. (2020) claimed that their digital twin platform could significantly aid participatory and collaborative processes.”
BackgroundInfluential

Authors: Dembski, F., Wössner, U., Letzgus, M., Ruddat, M., & Yamu, C.
Affiliations: High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart (HLRS), Nobelstraße 19, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (DE)
University of Stuttgart (DE)
University of Groningen (NL)
Corresponding author: Yamu, Claudia
ORCID: Dembski, Fabian
Wössner, Uwe
Ruddat, Michael
Yamu, Claudia
Venue: Sustainability
Publisher: MDPI AG
Published: 2020-03-16
Volume: 12
Issue: 6
Pages: 2307
ISSN: 2071-1050 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.3390/su12062307
OpenAlex: W3011950450
Semantic Scholar: 12620db190497050f70e1d1a29cf6e1a18898992
Cited by: 622
References: 29
Citations by year: 2026: 111 · 2025: 136 · 2024: 145 · 2023: 99 · 2022: 74 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 12
FWCI: 29.57
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: gold
doi.org
Licence: cc-by
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (vor)
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University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
OPUS Publication Server of the University of Stuttgart (University of Stuttgart) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Fraunhofer-Publica (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Fraunhofer-Publica (Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Universitätsbibliothek Stuttgart (cc-by)
Funders: Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg (Living Labs: City Districts 4.0)
Topics: Social Sciences › Urban Studies › Smart Cities and Technologies
Physical Sciences › Engineering › Building and Construction › 3D Modeling in Geospatial Applications
Social Sciences › Geography, Planning and Development › Geographic Information Systems Studies
Keywords: urban digital twins, smart cities, citizen participation, participatory urban planning, Herrenberg, space syntax, street network analysis, urban mobility simulation, wind field simulation, volunteered geographic information, virtual reality visualization, public workshops, decision support, democratic city

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Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-11, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).

A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-11 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).

Cited sources are checked with a language model’s help (gpt-6-sol).

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

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Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany

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