Digital twins are reshaping urban and national planning by providing dynamic, real-time representations of physical environments. In this engaging session, we will explore the transformative potential of digital twin technology, featuring two groundbreaking projects: a city-scale initiative in Melbourne and a country-scale public digital twin of Canada, along with a third presentation to be announced. The first case study will highlight the Greenline Project in the City of Melbourne, where the city is transforming the north bank of the Yarra River into a vibrant destination for residents and visitors alike. The City of Melbourne commissioned a highly accurate, multi-resolution 3D reality mesh of the riverbank, utilizing advanced photogrammetry and a range of capture techniques. This 4 km (2.5 mi) dataset will serve as the foundational framework for one of Melbourne’s largest city-shaping projects, revitalizing public waterfront spaces while respecting environmental, ecological, and Aboriginal cultural values. With a projected cost of $300 million, the project aims to create over 3,400 jobs during construction and 6,400 ongoing jobs by 2042, demonstrating the substantial economic impact of such digital initiatives. Next, we will delve into the ambitious public digital twin of Canada, designed to enhance accountability, information exchange, and collaboration across various sectors, including urban planning and construction. This open-source, web-based platform federates diverse datasets—ranging from BIM models and GIS data to point clouds and images—into a single visual interface. By utilizing open standards and supporting interoperability, this platform aims to break down barriers to information access, fostering collaboration among professionals and the public alike. Initiated for the architecture, engineering, and construction industries, the platform encourages community engagement and co-creation, enabling users to develop their own tools to contribute to the national digital twin. Additionally, a third presentation will be announced, further enriching the discussion around digital twin technology and its applications. This session promises to provide valuable insights into how digital twins are transforming urban and national landscapes, fostering collaboration among stakeholders, and driving smarter, more resilient cities and countries.
Developing an open and public digital twin of Canada
Digital twins at a national scale have been developed by and for federal governments to facilitate accountability, information exchange, and collaboration, across urban planning/management and construction industries. However, complex data governance policies, proprietary tools, and technological literacy have limited these efforts, hindering teamwork between disciplines. As a result, an open-source, web browser-based digital twin platform was developed. This platform aims to remove barriers to publicly available information by federating datasets in a single visual interface, accessible through a web browser. The platform is built using open source libraries, where a variety of data types such as BIM models, GIS data, point clouds, images, video, and other structured and unstructured data, are displayed in one interface. Although the platform was initiated for the architecture, engineering, and construction industry, it is not limited to these groups. Considering the complexity of information, regulations, and domain-specific expertise required in the urban planning process, federating the necessary resources in an open platform enhances comprehension and collaboration with a broad range of users, including the public. This platform supports open file formats and existing standards, aligning with well-established schemas that support persistent data and interoperability between softwares and disciplines. This platform will be openly available, inviting community development where users can build their own tools to contribute to the co-creation of a national digital twin.
Julie Ivanoff, Carleton Immersive Media Studio (CIMS)
