The "digital twin" of cities is being created, making disaster-resistant and sustainable urban life easier
Today, the world population of approximately 8 billion More than half live in cities. It is predicted that by 2050, approximately 2.5 billion more people will live in urban areas worldwide. In order for life in cities to continue in a healthy and sustainable way, planning must be done from a holistic perspective and technology must be used correctly. The fact that local governments make all kinds of decisions regarding city management, from housing to transportation, from security to the creation of efficient and environmentally friendly services, by using digital twin technology and benefiting from the power of data, stands out as a fact that should not be ignored today.
SAMPAŞ Holding, which has been using the power of informatics to strengthen and disseminate the smart city approach for 42 years, has produced high-tech products within the framework of Sustainable Development Goals in a world where urbanization and problems related to urbanization are increasing. He made evaluations about how to make cities more livable today and in the future for future generations by using digital twin solutions.
The data that needs to be sustainable and efficient in cities makes decisions We are rapidly moving towards a world where purchasing processes will be more effective than ever before. It is predicted that by 2050, approximately 2.5 billion more people will live in urban areas worldwide. The process begins with the necessity of proper planning to protect cities from natural disasters. A holistic smart city vision that includes many factors, from housing to transportation, from public services to security, from energy efficiency to environmentally friendly systems, needs to be planned. Digital twin technology forms the basis of this.
What is a digital twin?
Digital twin actually means a virtual copy of a physical entity, process or system. In the context of cities, this is possible by creating a digital model of the entire urban environment. This model includes everything from buildings and infrastructure to transportation systems, public services and public spaces. It brings real-time data of the process to life by connecting its twin to a digital representation programmed with artificial intelligence and pattern recognition to faithfully recreate it.
Real-time to make the right decisions about cities It is necessary to benefit from the power of data and simulation. For this reason, it is very important to collect and analyze data regularly. Data collection is made possible by sensors, smart cameras and IoT (Internet of Things) technologies. Instant data coming from all these relevant vehicles in the city is processed with the use of digital twin technology, making it possible to manage the city quickly, accurately and efficiently. Physical structures of cities, population, transportation systems and infrastructure, etc. driving the application of digital twin models. In other words, the digital twin adapts to the local conditions of each city and this process improves itself according to the needs of the city day by day. This approach is of critical importance, especially in disaster situations.
From the perspective of city management, the digital twin of a building, a neighborhood or even an entire city is in addition to urban planning. It also appears to greatly assist in the operation and maintenance of physical assets. For example, the gradual increase in air temperatures in a city or the simulation of flood risks or earthquakes caused by heavy rains in advance reveal the need to seek more durable and sustainable solutions in the built environment designs in that region.
The ability to simulate what can happen in cities with all kinds of scenarios and to transform data into meaningful information through a virtual representation of the real world is of great importance in solving the problems of cities, and it saves a significant amount of time and money. It also saves resources. This situation gives public institutions the opportunity to be more sensitive to their environment and demonstrate agile governance.
Evaluation of digital twins for smart cities
When planning cities, urban services, infrastructure, transportation, as well as construction It needs to be planned and any socio-economic impacts need to be taken into account. It is of great importance to consider various basic issues when evaluating digital twins in smart city application. Developing an appropriate set of KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that reflect the benefits of digital twins includes policies and standards with high security and confidentiality, including clear guidelines on how data is collected, exchanged, distributed, disseminated and how the information is used. It is necessary to create a rich environment, large amounts of data, sophisticated analytical tools and organize cooperation between multiple stakeholders.
SAMPAŞ Holding Chairman Şekip Karakaya said the following on the subject: He evaluates: “Urbanization in the world started with the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. Since the Ottoman Empire missed the industrial revolution, urbanization from the Ottoman Empire to Turkey could not begin for this reason. Since there was not enough contribution from agricultural activities during the Republic period, approximately 70 percent of the village population began to flow to the cities. Today, 76.8 percent of the total population lives in cities. But, instead of the development of cities, this power without industrial support led to disorder and slums. Those who migrated to cities in Turkey could not actually become urbanites. Instead, cities became villages. Today, when cities are being established, expanded or restructured, it is necessary to approach this from a holistic perspective. It is necessary to make end-to-end planning in order to make human life more livable, to protect the world while doing this, and to cope with disasters correctly. So actually a paradigm shift is needed. Today, cities need to be redesigned and managed accordingly, rather than being rebuilt or transformed. While the city is being redesigned, its management should also be done with digital twins. This vision that we are talking about today and that the world is trying to catch up with, offers important opportunities for urban life. Because with a digital twin of a city, we can simulate and test different scenarios to determine the most effective solutions for urban planning, design and management. In this way, we can optimize resource allocation, minimize costs and improve the overall sustainability of the city. Additionally, the use of digital twins can help us create a more inclusive and equitable city. By analyzing data on topics such as traffic patterns, energy use and air quality, we can identify underserved areas of the city and prioritize investment in these areas. But the potential benefits of digital twins go far beyond urban planning. They can also help us prepare for and respond to natural disasters, improve public safety, and increase the city's overall resilience. The development of smart cities enabled, supported and integrated by digital technologies such as IoT will be one of the major achievements of societies worldwide in the 21st century. Today, the world's cities are in the midst of extraordinary growth, and the possibilities of using digital twins for projects that have not yet been built need to be explored. Thanks to this created digital twin, you can control all processes related to city management from a control room and keep both the superstructure and infrastructure of the city under control with instant data. I'm excited to see the positive impact digital twins will have on our cities and our world. “If we create digital twins of our cities, we can solve all kinds of problems related to cities and take quick action in case of possible disasters.”
