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Smart city article details

Title Toward A Comprehensive Definition Of Urban Digital Twins: Bridging Gaps For Smart City Development
ID_Doc 57598
Authors Qanazi S.; Leclerc E.; Bosredon P.
Year 2025
Published Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, 1310 LNNS
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-88653-9_64
Abstract The rapid advancement of technology in smart cities has culminated in the development of the Urban Digital Twin (UDT), a tool that addresses various urban challenges and has applications across multiple fields. However, the lack of a universally accepted definition for UDT has resulted in significant conceptual and practical gaps. This study systematically examines various definitions of digital twins, outlining their fundamental components: the physical realm, digital realm, data, and their interconnections. It emphasizes the absence of standardization across different domains, particularly highlighting the need for further exploration of the social digital twin. Additionally, the inconsistent recognition of the virtual-to-physical connection and insufficient attention to data management issues, such as quality, security, and ownership, are identified as critical shortcomings. This analysis proposes an integrated definition of a digital twin as a dynamic virtual model that replicates a physical system, including its environment, processes, interactions, and stakeholders. This model maintains real-time, bidirectional connectivity, ensuring continuous, high-fidelity data exchange. By focusing on data integrity, security, and ownership, the proposed definition addresses current challenges and offers a robust framework for future research and innovation in smart city development. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.
Author Keywords Comprehensive Definition; Smart City; Urban Digital Twins


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