Smart City programme
Our Smart City programme drives innovation through new technologies, with digital twins as a strategic focus. Over recent years, we have experimented with various digital twin tools and platforms, initially in Smart Districts where we test innovative solutions. In Smart Docklands, for example, we deployed 3D modeling with drones, BIM, and LIDAR for data collection. We’re also exploring gaming platforms like Unreal and Unity to enhance city planning and community engagement.

Our growing network of IoT devices across the city feeds data into our digital twin models, helping us connect with stakeholders on future projects and investments. Through T4R, DCC showcases digital twins as powerful visual tools that integrate data on a geospatial platform, communicating insights to decision-makers, stakeholders, and communities. Our Smart Districts program and partnerships with industry and academia strengthen this effort, providing the research and technical expertise needed for digital twin development.

Pilot for Citizen Feedback for Docklands Model.  

History​
Our journey began in 2019 with a 3D Hackathon where 120+ participants explored 3D model applications for city planning. This led to an open-source 3D model of the “Silicon Docks” district, fostering innovation from both industry and academia.

At this stage of our digital twin journey, the focus was on development of inspiring use cases to help stimulate demand to invest in a longer-term strategic approach. The following projects have been developed:

• An innovation partnership with Bentley Systems, using digital twins for public engagement around city planning. Here, buildings and streets are digitized into interactive 3D environments.
• Extending the partnership with Bentley to develop campus digital twins in Smart DCU and support Dublin Fire Brigade’s emergency planning.

T4R
The frameworks to be developed in T4R, together with the pilot action, will provide lessons and build capacity within DCC, to adopt digital twin technology for good.  Two pilot use cases focus on the historic Docklands’ spatial transformation and the impact of city-wide active travel investments.

T4R project leader DCC: Jamie Cudden

Learn more

Smart DCU Digital Twin of Glasnevin Campus