Smart Cities for the Public Good

Digital twins of entire communities are enabling new levels of efficiency and equity

Digital twins started as a way to link 3D models and data from real-world processes in manufacturing. Then they caught on in AEC as a way to model whole buildings and all the systems in them. But as Tom Coleman points out, we can use the same approach to create digital twins of communities and even entire cities. And that’s what he and his team at WSP have been doing, combining BIM models and reality capture data of buildings and infrastructure with real-time data from sensors to create smart models that are constantly updated. With these digital twins, we can better engage with stakeholders and share design intent for new projects in a way that even nonprofessionals can intuitively understand, while accelerating delivery schedules, reducing costs, and improving productivity and safety.

About the speaker

Tom Coleman is a vice president of WSP, serving as director of Technology Integration and Planning. He has over 25 years of experience as an infrastructure project manager with specialized expertise in the design and delivery of transit, roadway, and highway projects.

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