The Future of Community and Mobility Week
Urban Digital Twins for Sustainable City Development
Italian Republic
The urban digital twin is developing as a future tool for managing cities, for their sustainability, and for preventing marginalization, using AI and sensors, but without forgetting the human aspect.
Recorded video available
Discussion
- Smart cities
| Transmission of simultaneous interpretation | Provided |
|---|---|
| Language of interpretation | Japanese and English |
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Track Programme
-
Time and
Date of
the event -
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2025.05.15[Thu]
10:00 ～ 13:00
(Venue Open 09:30)
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- Venue
- Pavilion
- Italy Pavilion
Programme details
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audio.
Reports
【Reflection】
The National Research Council of Italy (CNR) has launched a
strategic initiative known as Uber Intelligence, centered on
the development and application of Urban Digital Twins. These
virtual replicas of physical cities are designed to simulate
urban dynamics over time, providing data-driven support for
smart urban policy-making and planning. At the heart of this
initiative is the Interdepartmental Center for City Science
(CISC), established by the CNR.
In just one year, the center has already some collaborations
with cities such as Matera, Catania, and Milan. Its aim is to
develop a replicable methodology based on Digital Twins to
guide integrated urban development. Public engagement plays a
key role in the project: its participatory approach ensures
the inclusion of citizens' needs and visions for the
future city. A highlight of this approach involved 4,000
secondary school students in Matera, who participated in
co-designing and analyzing urban spaces. CISC acts as a hub
between researchers, public administrations, citizens, and
businesses, fostering innovation and elevating Italian
technological capabilities, such as the Digital Twins project.
Digital Twins enable the collection and analysis of urban data
to answer key planning questions. Using sensors and simulation
tools, they model phenomena such as traffic and pollution.
Specialized twins, such as the air quality model and mobility
twin, allow for scenario-based planning, predicting the
impacts of traffic restrictions or green space placement on
urban temperature. Urban geosciences also support planning and
risk mitigation by studying subsoil characteristics through
multi-scale, multidisciplinary approaches. In Rome, for
example, detailed seismic microzonation studies inform
resilience strategies in sensitive areas like the Colosseum.
Finally, the integration of geological studies and
seismic-resilient construction methods—drawing comparisons
between Italy and Japan—underscores the importance of
combining knowledge, innovation, and tradition to build safer,
smarter, and more livable cities.
【Post EXPO Initiatives】
Following the programme, initiatives concerning urban
sustainability—particularly those involving digital twin
technology—have continued to evolve both in Italy and
internationally. CNR remains active in several Italian cities,
advancing the use of integrated urban simulations and policy
assessment tools. These efforts have yielded tangible outcomes
in areas such as traffic optimisation, urban heat island
mitigation, and strategic green space planning.
A noteworthy development has been the continued promotion of
participatory urban design, particularly involving young
people. These citizen-led approaches are helping to bring
public administration closer to the real-life needs of
residents, making city planning more inclusive and
responsive.
In Japan, research is progressing on the real-time monitoring
of greenhouse gas emissions and the integrated use of urban
data, contributing to the development of evidence-based
environmental policies. The international networks and
knowledge-sharing fostered through the programme are expected
to play a pivotal role in strengthening global
collaboration.
This programme has helped to shift the narrative around urban
development—from reactive to anticipatory, and from segmented
to holistic. It has demonstrated the importance of
interpreting cities through the lens of science and
co-creating urban futures through the engagement of diverse
stakeholders.
Looking ahead, we will continue to share the knowledge and
case studies introduced in this programme with a broad
audience, contributing to improved policy-making and
sustainable urban transformation. The outcomes of this
initiative will serve not only as a reference for researchers
and policy-makers, but also as an inspiration for communities
working together to shape a better urban future.
Cast
Speakers
Giovanni Felici
Director, Institute for Systems Analysis and Computer Science, National Research Council of Italy
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Ida Giulia Presta
Researcher, Institute for Systems Analysis and Computer Science, National Research Council of Italy
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Marco Mancini
Researcher, Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering, National Research Council of Italy
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Makoto Saito
Senior Researcher, National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan
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Susumu Tanabe
Chief Senior Researcher, Geological Survey of Japan, AIST – National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
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Massimo Mari
Technologist, Department of Engineering, ICT, Energy and Transportation Technologies (DIITET), National Research Council of Italy
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The Future of Community and Mobility Week
Urban Digital Twins for Sustainable City Development
The urban digital twin is developing as a future tool for managing cities, for their sustainability, and for preventing marginalization, using AI and sensors, but without forgetting the human aspect.
-
2025.05.15[Thu]
10:00～13:00
(Venue Open 09:30)
- Pavilion
OTHER PROGRAM
The Future of Community and Mobility Week
