Claudia van der Laag

Professor of Urban Analytics

Department of Built Environment

Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo

Digital Twins for Cities – The Rise of the Socio-Technical System

Abstract

Cities are entering a new era in which digital twins are no longer simply technical replicas of urban systems, but evolving socio-technical infrastructures that shape how cities are planned, governed, and experienced. Across the world, urban digital twins are being adopted to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time — climate adaptation, urban resilience, mobility transitions, decarbonisation, infrastructure management, and inclusive governance. Yet as these technologies become increasingly sophisticated, a fundamental question emerges: can digital twins truly support more democratic and human-centred cities, or will they reinforce existing structures of power and expertise?

In this keynote, Claudia van der Laag, explores the transformation of urban digital twins from data-driven modelling tools into collaborative platforms for urban decision-making and societal change. It argues that the future of digital twins lies not only in advances in artificial intelligence, real-time data integration, simulation, and predictive analytics, but equally in the ability to connect technological innovation with governance, participation, and human agency.

Drawing on emerging international research and practical case studies, the keynote examines the complex ecosystem surrounding urban digital twins, bringing together planners, policymakers, researchers, technologists, and communities. It highlights how digital twins increasingly function as meeting points between multiple forms of knowledge — technical, political, social, and experiential — and why interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for their success.

The talk will critically reflect on the tensions between technological ambition and civic inclusion, exploring themes such as transparency, interoperability, participation, and trust. It will also discuss how digital twins can become powerful environments for scenario exploration, urban experimentation, and collective learning, enabling cities to better navigate uncertainty and complexity in an age of rapid urban transformation.

Ultimately, this keynote presents a vision of digital twins not as neutral technological systems, but as living socio-technical infrastructures capable of reshaping urban governance itself. The challenge ahead is therefore not only how accurately cities can be modelled, but how inclusively they can be imagined, negotiated, and governed through these emerging digital environments.

Short Bio

Claudia van der Laag (also known as Claudia Yamu) is Professor of Urban Analytics at Oslo Metropolitan University. Her work advances urban analytics and spatial modelling through an integrated multi-method approach, informing sustainable urban planning and policy. She is widely recognised for bridging theory and practice and received the prestigious Michael Breheny Prize for her contributions to multi-scale modelling. Van der Laag is co-author of the widely recognised textbook ‘Introduction to Space Syntax in Urban Studies’. She also serves on the editorial advisory board of Springer’s The Urban Book Series and the journal Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science.