Smarter Cities: Exploring the Applications of Emergency Management through Digital Twin Technology

Abstract: Today, the world is urbanizing at an extreme rate. According to The World Bank, “56% of the world’s population– 4.4 billion inhabitants – live in cities”. This trend is expected to continue, with the urban population more than doubling its current size by 2050, at which nearly 7 of 10 people will live in cities (WB, Overview, n.d.). This large concentration of people contributes significantly to the destruction of natural environments and increases global warming, causing climate change. The UN Environment Program stated that “cities are responsible for 75% of global CO2 emissions” (UN-EP, 2017). This allows a culminate and amplify their disastrous effects that put 44% of world population at risk of being submerged due to rising sea levels or be subjected to flooding. When a high-risk disaster situation occurs, such as flash flooding, hurricane, or building fire, every second counts. Several gaps exist in the functionality and efficiency of current emergency management within many U.S. cities. Such issues include but are not limited to deficiencies in inter-organizational communication, inefficient deployment of resources, and potential weaknesses in public notification methods. One possible solution to bridge those gaps is through the application of Digital Twin technology. This paper discusses the potential integrations of a Digital Twin City with existing emergency management systems to mitigate large-scale, complex disaster situations within the built environments.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AM.112.22

Volume Editors
Germane Barnes & Blair Satterfield

ISBN
978-1-944214-45-6