U.S. cities can expect to save $280 billion by 2030 with the deployment and use of digital twins, according to a new report. A digital twin is a simulated model of a physical process, product or service that can increase efficiency.
A digital twin uses the best available models, sensor information, and input data to mirror and predict activities/performance over the life of its corresponding physical twin. According to research, this technology is the ultimate tool for urban planners and city governments to design and build their infrastructure in a cost-effective way.
Read more: Digital Twins for City Infrastructure Planning in the U.S.
“Smart cities” are a technology-driven approach to many previously irretractable urban problems, from alleviating congestion to improving pedestrian safety to enhancing water quality. While tier-1 cities such as San Francisco and Denver may come to mind as leaders in smart city technology deployment, look no further than Chattanooga, Tennessee. This picturesque city, nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, is an example of a smart city employing cutting-edge approaches to improve residents’ lives and mobility.
Read more: US: Smart Cities’ Challenge: Bridging Data, In Real Time
A traffic signal upgrade project in San Diego will involve 26 intersections around the University of California, San Diego. The project will use adaptive software to improve mobility throughout the region.
A traffic signal modernization project underway in the neighborhood around the University of California in San Diego could become a model for the entire city.
Read more: US. California: San Diego Signal Modernization to Guide Mobility Efforts
From heatwave-induced wildfires in the West to unrelenting hurricanes in the Southeast, natural disasters are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change. As evidenced in 2020’s historic year of extreme cases, totaling 22 separate billion-dollar weather and climate disasters, we can expect this trend to continue. Today, wildfire season is longer and more severe than any other time in our nation’s history, in addition to hurricanes generating more destructive power. As storm severity grows over time, how city and state governments prepare, respond and recover is critical for building communities back to better than they were before the disaster struck.
Read more: US: Smart city technology drives efficient disaster response and recovery
The COVID-19 pandemic and various studies have exposed nationwide disparities in who has access to physical and mental health care, and a recent funding windfall for schools and broadband could help close those gaps.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. Treasury Department are giving schools a tremendous opportunity to close both the homework gap and the health-care gap. Though the investment is not specifically earmarked for telehealth — the colloquial term for digitally accessed health services and information — telehealth can win big if communities leverage the FCC’s $7.1 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF) and Treasury’s $122 billion Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER).