Digital twins for smart cities: addressing shared influences in building permitting and road infrastructure planning

Purpose This study investigates shared influencing factors between building permitting and road infrastructure planning and examines how these overlaps inform cross-domain digital twin information requirements in smart city contexts. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory multi-method research design was employed, combining a structured literature review, regulatory document analysis, ethnographic reflection, and evaluation through a focus group comprising international built environment practitioners. The study focuses on identifying and categorising shared factors and mapping them to associated information requirements rather than testing predefined hypotheses. Findings The findings identify 16 shared influencing factors spanning regulatory, spatial, technical, and governance dimensions that simultaneously affect building permitting and road infrastructure planning processes. These factors are organised into primary, secondary, and tertiary tiers and conceptually mapped to corresponding information requirements relevant to cross-domain digital twin implementation. Research limitations/implications A multi-jurisdictional evaluation reflects expert perspectives from selected regulatory contexts. Further empirical testing across diverse jurisdictions is required to assess scalability and contextual adaptation. Practical implications The study provides planning authorities, infrastructure managers, and digital twin developers with a structured framework to identify cross-domain dependencies, prioritise critical constraints, and support the staged implementation of interoperable digital twin systems. Social implications By illuminating the interdependencies between built environment domains, this research promotes more coordinated and sustainable planning practices, ultimately benefiting urban communities. Originality/value The research advances digital twin discourse by offering a structured cross-domain mapping of shared planning factors and associated information needs, linking regulatory coordination challenges with digital twin design considerations.