Abstract

Digital Twins (DTs) have been found to be a revolutionary tool in developing smart cities sustainably. The dissertation is a critical analysis of the designs, strategies, and real-world uses of Urban Digital Twins (CDTs) in city buildings and energy efficiency. It investigates the transformation of the fixed 3D models into dynamic and real time virtual simulations that are a combination of Building Information Modeling (BIM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Internet of Things (IoT) sensor networks. The article covers the applications based on multi-scale, building, district and city scales and the role of the CDTs in visualization, stakeholders’ engagement, city service optimization, demand response control, renewable energy engagement and predictive maintenance. The paper (with case studies worldwide including Virtual Singapore, Rotterdam and Helsinki and a model of a net-zero energy district synthesis) focuses on a higher energy efficiency, structural resiliency and evidence-based decision-making. The problems of data interoperability, computational loads, governance, and cybersecurity are critically reviewed and further trends such as artificial intelligence and machine learning are also discussed. The results emphasize the importance of Digital Twins in bridging the corporeal urban systems with virtual decision-support systems to achieve sustainable, resilient and humanized smart cities.

Publication Date

4-20-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Professional Studies (MS)

Department, Program, or Center

Graduate Programs & Research

Advisor

Abdulla Ismail

Campus

RIT Dubai

Download

Share

COinS