Digital twins are complex system simulations that use big data and advanced computing to replicate the “real world” with a high degree of precision and predictive accuracy. Urban digital twins (UDTs) have begun to take shape in cities across the globe, with the goal of providing governments and communities with simulated infrastructures, behaviors, and ecologies that can be used to anticipate challenges and test policy and planning solutions before they are deployed in the real world. UDTs are also a significant challenge for democratic governance in cities and regions. Data inputs erode individual privacy and choice, algorithmic-AI computation is highly susceptible to bias, and an emphasis on optimization can elide the democratic values that underpin local and regional governance.
The challenge and promise of UDTs require an emphasis on ethics and democratic approaches to data, computation, and implementation. DTD is leading a university-wide collaboration with Bologna, Italy, including its municipality, the region, and the University of Bologna as they implement an ethics-centered UDT. At UVA, partners with DTD include the Schools of Architecture and Data Science, the Biocomplexity Institute, the Center for Community Partnerships, and UVA Global.
