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Course on digital twins and renaturation in the context of urban planning

Photography of a group in front of a large screen with virtual techniques.

© Fabian Dembski

Under the title ‘Digital Twins in the Context of Renaturation: Nature Based and Digital Solutions for Spatial Planning’, an innovative course took place at the Vienna University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture and Spatial Planning in the summer semester, which combined current challenges of climate change with pioneering technologies in urban and spatial planning.

The seminar, led by visiting professor Fabian Dembski, focussed on digital twins - virtual images of real cities and landscapes - and their potential for planning and implementing renaturation measures. The students were given a sound introduction to the technical basics and digital tools for monitoring, forecasting, simulation and visualisation, including the use of virtual and augmented reality. In particular, nature-based solutions (NBS) in urban areas were covered - a key topic in the new EU renaturation law, which was recently passed by the EU Parliament.

One highlight of the course was the use of the TU Wien Bibliothek's Data Visualisation Space (DAVIS) - a state-of-the-art VR infrastructure with a 3D LED wall that allows groups of up to 20 people to explore immersive data spaces together. The seminar participants were able to analyse interactive digital twins and experience their potential applications for participatory urban planning at first hand.

Using real projects from Estonia and Germany, the students discussed the construction of complex urban twins and interfaces for involving citizens and other stakeholders. The aim was to promote collaborative and democratic planning processes that combine digital and nature-based solutions.

The seminar was complemented by a guest lecture by John Warren (University College Dublin) and an excursion to the research platform Infrared City, opens an external URL in a new window (CEO & Co-Founder Angelos Chronis).

The aim of this interdisciplinary and practice-orientated course was to make a future-oriented contribution to the next generation of planners and decision-makers for sustainable and resilient cities and regions.