Berlin's digital twin project creates a comprehensive three-dimensional virtual model of the entire city, integrating real-time sensor data, building information models, infrastructure network maps, and environmental measurements into a unified digital planning environment. The platform enables urban planners, architects, municipal decision-makers, and researchers to simulate the impact of proposed developments and policy changes before any physical implementation takes place, dramatically improving the quality and transparency of planning decisions.
Using the digital twin, planners can model how a new building will affect wind patterns in surrounding streets, how much solar energy a rooftop installation could generate, how traffic flows would change with a new cycling lane, or how stormwater drainage systems would perform under heavy rainfall scenarios. These simulations draw on continuously updated data streams from Berlin's IoT sensor networks, weather stations, traffic monitoring systems, and environmental databases, ensuring that analyses reflect current real-world conditions.
The digital twin also serves as a powerful tool for public participation. Immersive 3D visualisations make it possible for residents and stakeholders to explore proposed developments in their neighbourhoods, understand their likely impacts, and provide informed feedback during consultation processes. This transparency helps build trust between citizens and city planners and leads to better-informed, more widely supported planning outcomes.
Developed and maintained by the Berlin Senate Department in collaboration with Technologiestiftung Berlin and academic partners, the digital twin is designed to be interoperable with other European city platforms and compliant with open data standards. As Berlin continues to grow and densify, the digital twin provides an indispensable evidence base for managing urban complexity, balancing development pressures with liveability, and planning for climate resilience across one of Europe's largest and most dynamic capital cities.