Short description: The Municipality of Rotterdam is investigating the possibilities for the future city in the Digital City (DC) programme. The core of this programme is the development of a digital Open Urban Platform with a 3D Digital Twin of Rotterdam. The 3D Digital Twin of the city is a model of the city in which all fixed physical objects (houses, trees, benches, etc.) are included. This model is supplemented with ‘live’ data about the use of the city: Is that streetlight on? Is that parking bay occupied? Is that waste container full? Through a series of pilot projects with internal and external parties, the DC programme is gaining new knowledge to simulate the necessary developments. Opportunities are being targeted in the areas of economy, spatial planning, services, participation, safety, and asset management. Prototype proofs of concept were delivered for four applications in 2020:

1. An application to enable time and location independent participation and consultation in the area of spatial planning. In a 3D game setting, parties can consider the structure of an area in relation to potential restrictions, e.g. costs and physical obstacles. The objective is that residents can make proposals and submit them to the municipality. They can also see their designs ‘come to life’ with augmented reality (AR).
2. A prototype for an automated environmental permit making use of 3D models (BIM and GEO) and data driven rules. Using an automated model-based approach increases the chance of a successful proposal and speeds up the planning process.
3. A ‘SAFE 3D’ prototype to increase the physical safety for people present in and around buildings. The objective is to arrive at a better safety policy with specific information.
4. An application using 3D building information (BIM) for communication and promotion on building projects. With AR, the proposed final results can be visualised prior to and during the building project. Passers-by can scan a code at the building site and experience the scheduled building on their smartphone.

The objective is to have the platform operational for all users in 2022.

Version: EULF Blueprint v5.1