A Participatory Urban Digital Twin Development Roadmap for Climate‐Responsive Urban Planning: The Case of İzmir, Türkiye

Abstract

This article presents a participatory roadmap for developing an urban digital twin (UDT) for Izmir within the Re-Value project to support inclusive, climate-responsive urban planning. It responds to technocentric urban digital twin models often developed with minimal stakeholder engagement, raising concerns about their relevance to local contexts and urban challenges. To bridge this gap, the study developed a locally grounded and citizen-informed UDT roadmap through three-stage participatory process: (a) a co-design workshop engaged local stakeholders to identify spatial challenges and climate-responsive interventions; (b) a technical workshop aligned local insights with digital simulation capabilities through collaboration between municipal decision makers and technology partners; and (c) a municipal multi-departmental roundtable addressed governance models, data-sharing protocols, and infrastructure needs. These processes respond to three strategic priorities: (a) addressing coordination and data integration challenges across municipal departments; (b) developing a governance model incorporating stakeholder needs and citizen contributions; and (c) prioritizing small-scale, scenario-based micro-analysis and simulations for pedestrianization, green infrastructure, and thermal comfort. To support these objectives, key urban digital twin components—such as the minimum viable dataset, sensor plans, and simulation parameters—were collaboratively identified alongside a governance model tailored to İzmir’s administrative structure. The findings highlight that a meaningful urban digital twin must integrate cross-sectoral cooperation and spatial risk analysis (e.g., urban heat islands, air pollution, and flood-prone zones), supported by layered geographic information and 3D models. Overall, this model demonstrates a viable method for local governments to operationalize stakeholder participation before urban digital twin deployment, enabling context-sensitive, locally grounded, and democratically legitimate urban solutions.