Insight Session – Digital Twins for Risk-Informed Municipal Development

Date: Tuesday, 9 June 2026

Time: 14:00 – 15:00 CEST

Language: English – Turkish simultaneous translation

How can digital and AI applications help municipalities become more resilient and prepared for future risks? 

 As urban areas face growing climate and infrastructure-related risks, municipalities require digital tools that support rapid emergency response, long-term risk planning, and resilient urban governance. The Insight Session will introduce participants to the concept of “Digital Twins for Risk-Informed Urban Development” through practical applications and international good practices.

Urban Digital Twinning (UDT) refers to digital representations of urban systems connected to real-time data and predictive modelling tools. Increasingly used in urban development, UDT applications support areas such as mobility management, energy monitoring, disaster preparedness, infrastructure planning, and citizen participation. Successful examples can already be found in different countries, among them Japan, Singapore, Netherlands, Turkey, and Germany.

As a practical illustration, the session will present the ongoing work of practitioners, such as from the IT department of Bağcılar Municipality in Turkey, which is currently developing an AI-supported Digital Urban Twin platform focused on disaster resilience and data-driven municipal decision-making. The project integrates LiDAR-based 3D city modelling, IoT sensor infrastructure, GIS/MIS systems, panoramic urban imaging, and AI-supported analytics within a unified municipal data ecosystem.

After the presentations, a room for discussion will allow participants to ask questions and exchange thoughts on how to include digital urban twins into planning strategies and how to further advance the use of artificial intelligence for risk-informed and sustainable municipal development.

Please register for the event on the Connective Cities Community Platform: Insight Session – Digital Twins for Risk-Informed Municipal Development | Connective Cities Network

If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact:
lennart.kreuzfeld@giz.de or paulina.koschmieder@giz.de

We look forward to the discussion!