Applications, Insights and Implications of Digital Twins in Smart City Management

Digital twins (DTs) represent a transformative paradigm in urban management, leveraging computer modelling and real-time data integration to create virtual replicas of physical entities and systems. This paper explores their multifaceted applications, emphasizing efficiency, sustainability, and resilience. Synthesizing insights from diverse disciplines, it delineates the process of building digital twins and underscores their role in predictive maintenance, optimized performance, and data-driven decision-making. Using a smart city example, the paper illustrates how digital twins facilitate proactive interventions, resource optimization, and informed decision-making in domains such as traffic management, energy optimization, and public safety. It highlights the significance of digital twins in fostering collaboration, innovation, and resilience, empowering cities to address complex challenges and create inclusive, sustainable environments. In conclusion, digital twins emerge as indispensable tools in realizing the vision of smart, connected, and adaptive cities, poised to navigate the complexities of the contemporary urban landscape and pave the way for a sustainable future.