Zeile, Peter and Broschart, Daniel (2026) 3D City Models as Simulation Infrastructure: Open Tools, Proprietary Gaps and Application Scenarios in Everyday Planning. EVERYBODY PLANS ... SOMETIMES. Cherish Heritage, Plan Now, Create a Better Future! Proceedings of REAL CORP 2026, 31st International Conference on Urban Development, Regional Planning and Information Society. pp. 19-28. ISSN 2521-3938
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Text (3D City Models as Simulation Infrastructure: Open Tools, Proprietary Gaps and Application Scenarios in Everyday Planning)
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Abstract
Digital Twins are increasingly used as analytical frameworks in urban planning, supporting spatially explicit assessments of climate, energy and environmental risks. Based on interoperable 3D city models (e.g. CityGML/CityJSON) and shared geodata infrastructures, they enable scenario-based evaluations across multiple planning domains. This paper examines how Digital Twin workflows can support planning-oriented simulation tasks, with a particular focus on the interplay between open-source and proprietary tools. Using the city of Landsberg am Lech as an applied case study, four thematic applications are investigated: solar framework planning in a protected historic ensemble, urban heat screening, pluvial flood risk assessment, and environmental noise scenarios. The workflows combine open data – most notably LOD2 building models and digital terrain models – with a hybrid toolchain including QGIS, GRASS GIS, Honeybee, ICETools, H-Risk, as well as proprietary environments such as Rhino/Grasshopper and ArcGIS Pro. The results demonstrate that Digital Twins function most effectively as shared spatial reference systems for planning-oriented screening and orientation analyses, rather than as fully integrated simulation platforms. While physically based models such as PALM-4U represent the state of the art in urban climate modelling, simplified tools proved suitable for early-stage planning and comparative scenario evaluation. Overall, the study shows that hybrid workflows combining open and proprietary tools currently represent best practice, balancing transparency, methodological robustness, and planning relevance.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Digital Twin, Open-Source Planning Tools, Hybrid Simulation Workflows, Noise, Urban Climate Simulation |
| Subjects: | T Technology > T Technology (General) T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) T Technology > TH Building construction |
| Depositing User: | The CORP Team |
| Date Deposited: | 09 Apr 2026 20:47 |
| Last Modified: | 09 Apr 2026 20:47 |
| URI: | http://repository.corp.at/id/eprint/1397 |
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