Digital Twin Framework for Smart City Development: Systematic Review

Abstract

Cities represent complex ecosystems that grow at a rapid pace each day. Urban management and city services face multiple issues and functional problems. Integrating technology and smart infrastructure has become the chosen solution for modern challenges. The Smart City (SC) concept is a transformative approach being adopted by many cities around the world. This concept relies on the use of smart technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and high-performance computing for urban management and future project implementation. The goal is to enhance efficiency, improve quality of life, and ensure better harmony between technological progress and environmental sustainability. Moving towards a virtual living city model, the use of Digital Twin (DT) technology for urban growth management and city development is gaining attention among researchers and stakeholders. In this paper, the importance of DT technology for SC management is highlighted through a systematic review methodology. Then, differences between Urban Digital Twin (UDT) and Digital Twin City (DTC) approaches are debated, to synthetize shared properties and outline current limitations and challenges of implementing this technology in real-world settings. Finally, the paper concludes by offering some future research directions and potential paths for further work.