Issue link: https://resources.esri.ca/i/1261181
By replicating the real world in a digital environment, planners gain a safe place to test project scenarios. These digital twins model a neighborhood's buildings, vegetation, street rights-of-way, and other infrastructure. The more details planners add to models, the more realistic neighborhood scenes become and the more useful they are for analyzing real-world effects. The Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA), for example, uses a digital twin to explore how development constraints will affect city plans. With ArcGIS Urban, the team authors iterative scenarios to create and test regulatory policy. BPDA staff created a web-based 3D model of the city to streamline review of proposed development projects, thereby reducing the need for resubmissions. "We are trying to spatially understand environmental impacts," said Corey Zehngebot, Senior Architect and Urban Designer at BPDA. "By using cutting-edge technology with data-driven workflows, we have metrics and standardized processes and procedures to evaluate projects and move them forward." Traditional 2D site plans do not offer enough information for reviewers to understand the spatial impact of a proposed project. However, 3D models help people visualize and assess a project in the context of its proposed location. Staff can adjust designs and measure how any change will influence outcomes. REDUCE RISK WITH DIGITAL TWINS In Boston, developers proposed a 775-foot project that ignited debate about the impact of its height and shadow on the Boston Common. BPDA planners requested a 3D model of the project and used shadow impact tools to model each hour of the day. By adjusting the building's height, they could see how the change affected shadow cast. The modeling work revealed that the project needed to be lowered 80 feet. "Having a digital 3D model allows us to capture the entire city and determine real-world impacts to make timely decisions," concluded Zehngebot. 3 6