Metaverse Cities: The Role of Digital Twins in Modern Cities
By 2030, over 700 cities worldwide could have their digital twins—Metaverse Cities. This forecast comes from the World Economic Forum, based on already-implemented examples of urban agglomerations transitioning into the metaverse.
The metaverse is a 3D-modeled environment where users, through their avatars, are able to interact, work, play, or make virtual purchases. The Play-to-Earn concept allows metaverses to create proprietary economies, backed by internal cryptocurrency tokens.
Using smartphones, users can collect colorful tokens—yellow, blue, and green. One type unlocks video clips that can be shared on social media; another is akin to NFTs for collecting, trading, or selling; and the final type is designed to be exchanged for real goods in certain local stores.
This fun experiment for tourists and local AR enthusiasts had unexpected benefits. Virtual tokens were placed in less-visited areas, and the resulting traffic boosted retail activity and reduced street crime (as criminals tend to avoid crowded places).
Using its digital twin, specialists can test the effects of various adverse weather conditions on the city and analyze the potential effectiveness of different measures, the resilience of protective structures, the condition of drainage systems, and more. Additionally, real-time monitoring of sea levels is conducted to assess the flood risk for specific areas.
Within the digital twins of certain business districts, users can even purchase plots (though this does not confer real-world ownership rights) for purposes such as setting up virtual offices or advertising.
However, Dubai’s broader goal is spatial planning. The city is undergoing a period of rapid expansion. Utilizing its digital twin in the Metaverse allows for faster and more detailed planning of future developments, from the materials used to the placement of buildings, utilities, and transport stops. Such plans also enable predictions of future traffic flows and pedestrian routes.
The importance of this planning cannot be overstated—once construction begins, making changes becomes either extremely difficult or ultimately impossible.
Companies like Samsung Electronics, SK Telecom, and Naver have already established their virtual offices in the Metaverse, aiming to attract foreign investors to the virtual space.
In the future, the authorities in South Korea's capital plan to fully migrate several services into the metaverse. Some higher education institutions have already announced the transition of their educational processes to the virtual world. Additionally, residents will have the opportunity to attend events digitally.
Data from the World Economic Forum suggests the trade turnover of digital assets in the metaverse already exceeds $200 billion annually, and companies involved in developing metaworlds attract over $10 billion each year.
The metaverse brings interaction to 300 million digital asset users, with 60% of them considering it a potential environment for their entrepreneurial activities.
Moreover, 78% of brands and digital asset issuers want to bring deeper engagement to the Metaverse platforms embedded in their projects.
Challenges and Benefits of Implementation
Metaverse Cities are still a relatively new phenomenon. Unlike the worlds artificially created (essentially gaming platforms), transferring a real city into virtual reality with maximum detail is a highly complex process.
While many municipalities have already implemented Smart City platforms that allow residents to remotely interact with city services, creating fully-fledged digital copies of cities or parts of them required breakthroughs in technologies such as IoT (Internet of Things), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and most importantly, AI.
A digital twin of a metropolis must receive real-time information from city services about any changes in its physical counterpart through sensors, video cameras, and more. Otherwise, the entire concept loses its purpose. So, what problems can Metaverse Cities solve beyond simple entertainment and tourism?
Traffic Management: New York
Columbia University is working on the "Hybrid Twins for Urban Transportation: From Intersections to Citywide Management" project in New York.
This platform identifies ways to optimize traffic flow, models traffic conditions, and helps dispatch services manage traffic to prevent congestion. This not only improves city logistics but also reduces vehicle emissions.
The ultimate goals are to transfer traffic light management to AI and develop an app for pedestrians that warns them of potential dangers (increased traffic, blind spots at crossings, etc.).
This platform identifies ways to optimize traffic flow, models traffic conditions, and helps dispatch services manage traffic to prevent congestion. This not only improves city logistics but also reduces vehicle emissions.
The ultimate goals are to transfer traffic light management to AI and develop an app for pedestrians that warns them of potential dangers (increased traffic, blind spots at crossings, etc.).
Crime Prevention: Santa Monica
In Santa Monica, California, municipal authorities have launched an innovative digital experiment with an app from FlickPlay, combining a digital copy of the city with augmented reality (AR) capabilities.Using smartphones, users can collect colorful tokens—yellow, blue, and green. One type unlocks video clips that can be shared on social media; another is akin to NFTs for collecting, trading, or selling; and the final type is designed to be exchanged for real goods in certain local stores.
This fun experiment for tourists and local AR enthusiasts had unexpected benefits. Virtual tokens were placed in less-visited areas, and the resulting traffic boosted retail activity and reduced street crime (as criminals tend to avoid crowded places).
Combating Climate Change: Singapore
Singapore was among the first major global centers to develop a Metaverse City, starting back in 2014. The reason is simple: this Asian city is a metropolis, a state, and an island all at once. Its unique geographical characteristics make it highly sensitive to the projected impacts of global warming.Using its digital twin, specialists can test the effects of various adverse weather conditions on the city and analyze the potential effectiveness of different measures, the resilience of protective structures, the condition of drainage systems, and more. Additionally, real-time monitoring of sea levels is conducted to assess the flood risk for specific areas.
Spatial Planning: Dubai
Dubai's Metaverse City is already actively contributing to the development of the tourism sector and supporting the rapid pace of business activity in this eastern megacenter.Within the digital twins of certain business districts, users can even purchase plots (though this does not confer real-world ownership rights) for purposes such as setting up virtual offices or advertising.
However, Dubai’s broader goal is spatial planning. The city is undergoing a period of rapid expansion. Utilizing its digital twin in the Metaverse allows for faster and more detailed planning of future developments, from the materials used to the placement of buildings, utilities, and transport stops. Such plans also enable predictions of future traffic flows and pedestrian routes.
The importance of this planning cannot be overstated—once construction begins, making changes becomes either extremely difficult or ultimately impossible.
Digital All-Inclusive: Seoul
Metaverse Seoul is rightfully considered a successful digital twin project. Residents of South Korea, after registering an avatar, can access a full range of administrative services and submit written requests to government agencies within the metaverse.Companies like Samsung Electronics, SK Telecom, and Naver have already established their virtual offices in the Metaverse, aiming to attract foreign investors to the virtual space.
In the future, the authorities in South Korea's capital plan to fully migrate several services into the metaverse. Some higher education institutions have already announced the transition of their educational processes to the virtual world. Additionally, residents will have the opportunity to attend events digitally.
The Metaverse in Numbers
The list of possibilities goes on. The metaverse has quickly evolved from a niche interest to an attractive investment sphere.Data from the World Economic Forum suggests the trade turnover of digital assets in the metaverse already exceeds $200 billion annually, and companies involved in developing metaworlds attract over $10 billion each year.
The metaverse brings interaction to 300 million digital asset users, with 60% of them considering it a potential environment for their entrepreneurial activities.
Moreover, 78% of brands and digital asset issuers want to bring deeper engagement to the Metaverse platforms embedded in their projects.
