Paper by Assist Prof Ahn Chaewon: 'Critical urban informatics for urban digital twin models'

Assistant Professor Ahn Chaewon‘s paper published by Nature Cities out on 20 February 2025.

Urban Digital Twin Models (UDTMs) are being rapidly developed by urban authorities, as they are considered a compelling digital representation of the environment that can simulate potential solutions to urban problems. The urban application of the digital twin concept necessitates a critical examination of UDTMs, from their development to their use. Despite advances in UDTMs, three persistent challenges remain:

1. The oversimplification of the complex urban context,
2. The exclusion of socio-economic and cultural urban knowledge, and
3. The legitimacy of UDTMs in inclusive decision-making and citizen engagement.

This paper proposes a new field of study for UDTMs, critical urban informatics, which questions the epistemology of urban informatics and the knowledge it generates, aiming for productive intervention in the currently highly technical UDTM practice. The paper suggests three core research areas and associated questions: model-human relations, model-world relations, and the model in use. Furthermore, we argue for a situated interpretation of UDTMs to enhance understanding and reconstruct them as an effective and inclusive tool for smart urban futures.

Click here to read more about the paper.