What if Brussels had a digital twin? The city in the age of artificial intelligence

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Date

20 MAR 2025

Entrance fee

Free

Time

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Address

Cantersteen 16, 1000 Brussels

What if Brussels had a digital twin? The city in the age of artificial intelligence

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Join us at FARI – AI for the Common Good Institute, on Thursday 20 March 2025 (from 10 am to 12 pm CET) for an immersive experience on urban digital twins – digital replicas of our cities. Increasingly used in major cities, these tools are still largely unknown to public authorities and the general public. In the CAVE (Computer Augmented Virtual Environment), you will be immersed in 3D cartographic representations of Brussels. This will be a unique opportunity to question the use of these technologies by decision-makers and to reflect on their impact on the management of urban areas and the lives of local residents.

The use of these digital tools, particularly as regards their visualisation and representation, raises fundamental questions: who makes the decisions and what criteria guide these choices? Jacques Lévy (CHOROS), geographer and urban planner, will introduce this reflection on how these technologies can redefine the way we visualise, represent and govern our urban spaces.

Roland Billen (ULiège), a geomatician, will also examine the use of these tools at the local level. He will highlight the technical challenges and specific issues that arise when adapting these large-scale technologies to urban contexts.

This event is co-organized by FARI and the Brussels Academy.

Program:

9:45 AM: Welcome + Coffee
10:00-10:05 AM: Session and Guest Introduction
10:05-10:30 AM: Jacques Lévy‘s Presentation
10:30-11:00 AM: Dive into the Concept of Digital Twins – Martin Canter and Susheel Nath
11:00-11:15 AM: Break
11:15-11:40 AM: The Use of Digital Twins at Different Territorial Scales: The Liège Experience – Roland Billen
11:40 AM-12:00 PM: Q&A

Objectives:

– Understanding digital twins: Explain what digital twins are, how they work and their main applications.
– Exploring their impact beyond the Smart City: Showing that digital twins can transform various sectors (mobility, energy, urban planning) and not just the management of smart cities.
– State of innovation in Brussels: Present the projects underway in Brussels (two municipalities, Ixelles and Brussels).
– Reflection on the social and ethical issues: Raising awareness of the ethical, social and economic issues raised by the use of digital twins in urban space.