Building Sustainable Cities and Communities: Contribution of Digital Twins to a Sustainable Built Environment

The widespread adoption of Digital Twins in the Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operation (AECO) industry is transforming project dynamics across multiple phases. Digital Twins promises to optimize workflows, enhance process control, and elevate overall project quality throughout the project lifecycle. Despite the immediate benefits observed, the enduring correlation between Digital Twins and fostering a sustainable built environment requires more in-depth exploration. This paper investigates the pivotal role of Digital Twins in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 11, which centers on sustainable cities and communities. Drawing on insights extracted from the existing research, a systematic literature review of published scientific research forms the foundation of this study. A bibliometric analysis is conducted, mapping the current landscape of Digital Twins implementations. Four key themes of the contribution of Digital Twins to sustainable cities and communities emerged from this analysis: energy efficiency, urban mobility, resilience, and urban planning. The main findings shed light on the prevailing research trends, identify key themes, and pinpoint existing gaps in the domain. By unraveling the relationship between Digital Twins and sustainable urban development, this research seeks to inform future strategies and innovations in the AECO industry, fostering environmentally conscious practices. Ultimately, this study contributes valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on integrating Digital Twins to pursue sustainable cities and communities.