Dynamic Visualisations to Enhance Citizen Engagement

Many cities are developing semantic 3D models as a digital representation of their city, as opposed to static 2D illustrations. The DVECE project explores the use of digital twins, or DigiTwins, as a tool for effective and inclusive citizen engagement practices. DigiTwins are the most advanced 3D visualisation models being actively developed worldwide and are increasingly being used to reinforce evidence-based approaches for policy-making.  

The objectives of DVECE are to:  

• Use innovative Digital Twin models to engage citizens who are typically under-represented in participatory processes, so they can envisage new mobility scenarios in an immersive environment 
• Experiment with dynamic visualisation tools to display and validate citizens’ input within the Digital Twins, contributing to a more effective and accurate methodology that incorporates citizen feedback into policy plans 

Two distinct approaches toward the use of DigiTwins in citizen engagement will be tested within three living lab environments. A first approach uses advanced DigiTwin models and interfaces to help citizens visualize the impact of their feedback on mobility plans. This approach will be tested in the Smart City Living Lab in the Kalasatama and Jätkäsaari Smart Mobility Lab (Finland).  

A second approach, to be trialled in the Urban Living Lab Breda in the Netherlands, and the Thessaloniki Smart Mobility Living Lab in Greece, focuses on collecting offline input and incorporating this qualitative data into DigiTwin models to test a hybrid digital-offline participation process that accommodates people with lower digital literacy levels.