Turkish university to create digital twins of cities for urban planning

Istanbul Technical University (İTÜ) is endeavoring to create digital twins of the country's 81 provinces to enhance urban planning efforts, particularly in addressing transportation issues, bolstering disaster readiness and combating environmental pollution.

Digital twins are virtual simulations of real-world entities such as cities, buildings, or infrastructure. These simulations allow researchers to model and predict real-world scenarios, offering valuable insights for urban planning and management.

"For instance, digital twins can help us identify areas prone to flooding during heavy rainfall. This allows us to proactively develop flood mitigation strategies. We are currently running simulations of various natural disasters on the Ayazağa Campus' digital twin," Koyuncu said.

The project envisions extending digital twins across all provinces and districts in Türkiye. These virtual models will be instrumental in planning for a wide range of scenarios, including fire, earthquakes and floods.

İTÜ's success in the QS rankings underscores its commitment to academic excellence and innovation. "Being ranked 95th in engineering and technology is a significant achievement," Koyuncu remarked. "We are the first Turkish university in the top 100 for any of the five main fields assessed. Our long-term goal is to become a top 10 global university."

The announcement comes on the heels of İTÜ's impressive achievement in the 2024 QS World University Rankings by Subject. The university secured the 95th position globally in the field of engineering and technology, becoming the first Turkish institution to crack the top 100 in this category.