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      <title>Cities &amp; Public Services</title>
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      <![CDATA[ [Do not delete] Gallery ]]>
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      <pubDate>Fri, 10 Jan 2025 12:23:57 GMT</pubDate>
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                1/3The systematic operation of milk production in a factory, emphasizing the precision and technology involved in the process




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      <![CDATA[ Bridging the Gap in Real Estate with Virtual Twin Solutions ]]>
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      <link>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/brands/geovia/bridging-the-gap-in-real-estate-with-virtual-twin-solutions/</link>
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      <pubDate>Wed, 20 Nov 2024 11:14:57 GMT</pubDate>
      <description>
      <![CDATA[ GEOVIA Urban Planning solutions allow the creation of a comprehensive virtual twin within a single platform, seamlessly integrating both open-source and private BIM data. By reconciling 2D and 3D data, converting vector data into 3D, and georeferencing 3D designs, these solutions go far beyond basic visualizations. They offer advanced spatial analysis capabilities, enabling real estate developers and planners to assess site viability, evaluate environmental impacts, and simulate various scenarios effectively.
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      <![CDATA[ 
Authored by @Fabrice SERVANT, GEOVIA Customer Success Director, Dassault Systèmes



The real estate industry is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by global urbanization, evolving lifestyles, and the critical need for sustainable practices. In response, real estate professionals are increasingly exploring digital solutions that improve efficiency foster&nbsp;collaboration, and optimize land use. At the forefront of these innovations is virtual twin technology, which allows developers and planners to visualize and simulate projects within their full spatial and environmental context. This is what Dassault Systèmes’ GEOVIA presents in its latest webinar on land prospecting.



Creation of a Virtual Twin



GEOVIA Urban Planning solutions allow the creation of a comprehensive virtual twin within a single platform, seamlessly integrating both open-source and private BIM data. By reconciling 2D and 3D data, converting vector data into 3D, and georeferencing 3D designs, these solutions go far beyond basic visualizations. They offer advanced spatial analysis capabilities, enabling real estate developers and planners to assess site viability, evaluate environmental impacts, and simulate various scenarios effectively.



Figure 1 &#8211; BIM model of the Dassault Systèmes WOOD building in the context of the Vélizy campus in France



Site Selection



For real estate developers, location is a primary driver of property value, making site selection a critical step before breaking ground. Depending on the type of project, factors like access to transportation, nearby schools, and cultural sites can greatly influence site selection. While much of this information is available through open data, meaningful analysis becomes more impactful when projected onto a virtual twin.



GEOVIA’s solutions go beyond traditional analysis, empowering land prospectors to create adaptive designs to meet specific requirements. By selecting a starting point on a map, prospectors can accurately analyze the surrounding area within the isochrones of their choice—like a 5-minute walk or a 10-minute bike ride- to gain precise insights.



Figure 2 &#8211; GEOVIA livability scoring analysis







This analysis can be enhanced to meet the project’s objectives by establishing a scoring system based on points of interest, such as schools, hospitals, and museums, and comparing these scores across multiple locations to identify the optimal sites. Beyond helping developers determine the ideal location, this solution also facilitates communication with non-technical stakeholders. By simulating real-world scenarios, professionals can refine their projects to reflect emerging trends, ensuring they stay relevant and appealing to prospective buyers.



Enhancing Collaboration and Decision-Making



GEOVIA’s solutions are integrated into Dassault Systèmes’&nbsp;3DEXPERIENCE platform – a secure, web-based, collaboration hub that allows stakeholders to aggregate, store, and share documents within the virtual twin environment with a single login. Serving as a single source of truth, this platform ensures that all stakeholders—from project managers to general contractors—have easy access to the most current information. This capability enhances traceability, facilitates the early identification of potential issues, and helps optimize workflows.



Figure 3 &#8211; 3DEXPERIENCE platform Idea Funnel







In addition to allowing users to monitor project progress by location, track real-time operations, and manage upcoming projects, the&nbsp;3DEXPERIENCE platform serves as a powerful collaboration tool. It enables stakeholders to interact and communicate within private or public communities directly on a 3D map. By clicking on a specific location of interest on the 3D map, stakeholders can create and access geolocated posts that provide the latest updates on new and upcoming developments. These posts can include text, images, documents, and links to the map, offering a detailed view of the site in a 3D context. This functionality preserves all relevant information throughout the project lifecycle and also empowers stakeholders to make faster, more informed decisions.



Looking Ahead



GEOVIA offers unparalleled insights through interactive market analysis. Visualize and analyze key real estate data in context, identifying opportunities that might otherwise remain hidden. This strategic advantage allows you to confidently make data-driven decisions, maximizing return on investment and optimizing resource allocation.



Discover how GEOVIA can turn your ideas into reality with a personalized demo. Explore how to analyze, collaborate, and manage your construction projects with&nbsp;GEOVIA Solutions&nbsp;and how virtual twins can redefine urban development. If you missed the &#8220;Maximize Your Real Estate Operations&#8221; webinar, watch the replay for practical tips and valuable insights. The webinar is in French, with English subtitles.







Community is a place for GEOVIA users – from beginners to experts and everyone in between – to get answers to your questions, learn from each other, and network.&nbsp;Join our community to know more:



GEOVIA User Community&nbsp;–&nbsp;Read about industry topics from GEOVIA experts, be the first to know about new product releases and product tips and tricks, and share information and questions with your peers. All&nbsp;industry professionals are welcome to learn, engage, discover and share knowledge to shape a sustainable future of mining. &nbsp;



New member?&nbsp;Create an account, it’s free!&nbsp;Learn more about this community&nbsp;HERE.
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      <title>
      <![CDATA[ Beyond accessible: Making cities inclusive for all ]]>
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      <link>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/industries/cities-public-services/making-cities-inclusive-for-all/</link>
      <guid>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/guid/270898</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 17 Oct 2024 17:39:26 GMT</pubDate>
      <description>
      <![CDATA[ For decades, cities have worked to make their environment accessible to those with limited mobility. Now, the challenge has grown much bigger: enabling inclusive cities to ensure equal opportunity for all.
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Search online for “The world’s most inclusive cities” and you will get a list that looks something this: Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Montreal, Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul and Auckland. Keep scrolling and you’ll spot a few US cities, including Washington, DC; Seattle; and Boston.



While the criteria used and individual cities’ rankings change from survey to survey, the same names appear consistently. What cities don’t appear on these lists? Those in Asia and Africa, where the UN projects that 90% of the world’s population growth will occur through 2050 – an increase of 2.25 billion people. These are also the same areas where one-third of all urban residents already live in slums – a massive challenge for local and national governments to tackle in tandem with inclusivity.



As a result, inclusivity advocates fear that in the areas where population growth will be greatest, the need to provide housing will leave social and economic facets of inclusivity untouched – creating challenges that will be much more difficult and expensive to retrofit in the future.







What is an inclusive city?



The Asian Development Bank (ADB) offers one of the most comprehensive definitions of an inclusive city, describing it as “a safe, livable environment with affordable and equitable access to urban services, social services, and livelihood opportunities for all city residents and other city users.” The goal of an inclusive city, the ADB says, is to “promote optimal development of its human capital and ensure the respect of human dignity and equality.”



The World Bank elaborates on the concept, explaining that inclusive cities involve “a complex web of spatial, social and economic factors”:



Inclusive city characteristics:



1. Spatial: Residents should be able to access affordable housing, water and sanitation. The urban poor should not be relegated to unsafe land, such as abandoned landfills and flood-prone areas. If everything they need – including work – is not available within a 15-minute walk or bike ride, they must have ready access to affordable, reliable and safe public transportation.



2. Social: All marginalized groups, including women, immigrants, indigenous people, those with disabilities and the elderly, should be actively engaged and included in planning decisions to ensure that cities meet their needs. Crime and violence must be minimized, and successes from other cities should be replicated in the developing world.



3. Economic: All citizens must have easy connections to jobs, housing, public transport, recreation, culture, green areas, shopping and more. As the population grows, job creation is essential, and skill building that helps citizens gain and advance in jobs creates new opportunities for marginalized populations.







Traditionally, the World Bank observes, cities have focused primarily on spatial challenges, with programs such as affordable housing projects and bus networks. However, these projects are often conceived without input from the people they are supposed to help. Without sufficient understanding of where and how services should be provided, and absent job training and fair wages, such programs are doomed to fail.



To create truly inclusive cities, the World Bank says, government officials and city planners must ensure that all three pillars – spatial, social and economic – are addressed in an integrated, comprehensive way. Doing so is critical to meeting at least five of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: providing decent work and economic growth; supplying clean water and sanitation; addressing industry, innovation and infrastructure; reducing inequalities; and creating sustainable communities. Achieving these goals will help in achieving others, such as ending poverty and hunger.



One way to design a more inclusive city is through the power of virtual twins, which we will explore by visiting cities that are striving to do exactly that.&nbsp;



Inclusive city design and planning in the developed world



Even the world’s most inclusive cities are far from perfect. Adding new functionality to existing infrastructure – widening sidewalks to accommodate walkers and strollers, adjusting crossing signals to give the elderly sufficient time to cross streets, creating bike lanes protected from automobile traffic, providing navigation cues for pedestrians, and making amenities and services readily available to all – is a difficult business. This is especially true where cities must transcend barriers specifically built to segregate low-income and minority populations.











New York City’s troublesome past



In New York City, planner Robert Moses laid the foundation for some of the city’s greatest features. However, an article by Active Sustainability also outlines how Moses drew the 1930s maps that spawned the term “red-lining”, because they signaled to bankers where not to invest by outlining minority and immigrant communities with red ink. He also designed several overpasses for the Long Island Expressway that were too low for buses, keeping affluent Long Island and its beaches “off-limits to the poor and people of color, those who mostly used public transport.”



Rebecca Chau, a senior experience designer for design consulting firm Arup, uses Moses as an example of how most Western cities were designed by and for “the default male gaze” – affluent, able-bodied men who had no awareness of or interest in making cities work for those unlike themselves.



“It is not only women who are impacted [by their choices], but everyone who exists outside this narrow definition of normal,” Chau wrote. “It is women, children, the elderly, the LGBTQ community, people with disabilities, people of colour and many others who often must adapt themselves, their routines and ambitions to fit.”



For city planners to have any hope of understanding and providing for the wide variety of people who live in a city, she wrote, they must talk to and involve representatives of all special groups – not just the majority.



Boston’s inclusive bus system



Bias isn’t always behind bad planning decisions. Sometimes, cities make the mistake of building new amenities based on old patterns. Arup confronted this challenge in Boston, where bus routes simply duplicated the trolley lines that served the city in the early 1900s.



Today, 50 cities and towns make up the extensive area served by Boston’s Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MTBA), which uses a complex mix of subways, ferries, light rail and bus routes to serve more than 700,000 riders daily. Each town is responsible for funding and decision-making for parts of the system that lie within its jurisdiction. As Arup observes: “The resulting piecemeal improvements create a patchwork of transit conditions that complicate region-wide planning.”



MBTA worked with Arup to resolve the patchwork in a more inclusive way, specifically for its bus routes. The agency didn’t want to just rationalize the bus system. It also wanted to revise the system in a way that made it more inclusive: first, by defining routes to ensure low-income communities had better access to jobs, education and essential services; and second, to reduce traffic, emissions and energy consumption by making the system so attractive and convenient that it could lure commuters away from their cars.



Arup has been a pioneer in building sophisticated 3D models of city systems to analyze and solve such challenges. Such models, known as digital twins or virtual twins, involve artificial intelligence (AI) and parametric modeling, a computer science that allows designers to test the results of multiple design variations without human bias and project how they will function as populations grow and change. Planners use data from past operations to project future ones and test different approaches to solving complex challenges to arrive at the best solution. It is an approach that requires massive computing power, a challenge solved by cloud computing.



Arup used parametric modeling to solve MBTA’s twin goals, creating a virtual twin that modeled 90 million true-to-life commuter trips, including trips that involved transfers between several types of transport. The model “refined potential routes according to trip distance and duration, connection to rapid transit, and the ability to connect residential and commercial areas, and prioritizing issues such as equity and access.” The result? A 25% increase in bus services, including new access for 115,000 residents of color and 40,000 low-income households. The new system will be phased in through 2028. And as conditions evolve, so will the virtual twin, enabling MBTA to continuously refine its system to meet changing needs.



Making Sydney&#8217;s Opera House inclusive



Renovating existing buildings to be inclusive is an equally daunting task – especially when the building is as globally iconic as the Sydney Opera House. Inclusivity became a priority long after the soaring glass and concrete building opened in 1973 &#8211;and wasn’t even a concept when design began in 1959. As a result, concert hall levels above Level 2 – home to the most desirable seats – could only be accessed by a series of steep concrete stairs.



When the opera house began a 10-year renovation in 2013, its leaders challenged Arup, which engineered the original building, to add elevators, providing ready access to the upper tiers of seating to patrons with limited mobility.



“Cutting through the building’s long-spanned concrete beams would be challenging without creating a new support system,” the engineers explained in a profile of the project. “Instead, we helped create a tunnel design through the Northern Foyer’s staircase to house the lift shafts, providing access to each level.” To maintain the building’s iconic harbor views, even when patrons are using the elevators, Arup enclosed them in glass shafts.



Projects like the Sydney Opera House renovation are prime examples of the power of virtual twins, Anne Asensio, vice president of design experience at Dassault Systémes, told design and engineering magazine Dezeen.



“This ability to visualize any given element in 3D – it could be an object, a service, a system or an entire city – and play with all the physical rules within the conformity of science is an incredible power,” Asensio said. “We can use [virtual twins to] demonstrate other ways of designing a city: leveraging the participative action of citizens through immersive co-design of the city on one hand and, on the side of professionals, redesigning buildings to be resilient to climate or extreme temperatures, or rebuilding after the learning of a simulated tsunami.”



Inclusive cities in the emerging world



While cities in developed nations struggle with enabling inclusivity in well-established infrastructures, those in the developing world face an even bigger challenge: how to address inclusivity when so many of their residents live in slums and shantytowns hand-built from scraps of found materials.



“While urbanization has been recognized as a powerful force in support of economic growth and poverty reduction, it is equally true that poverty is rapidly urbanizing as more and more people move from cities,” the World Bank states in its Inclusive Cities Approach Paper. “Furthermore, most of the increase in urban population is taking place in Africa and Asia, regions that are home to some of the poorest countries in the world. Service provision in urban areas has not kept up with rapid urbanization.”



The report goes on to state: “In cities of developing countries, the urban poor often settle on land exposed to natural and man-made hazards, such as garbage dumps and polluted sites, due to their proximity to opportunities for economic growth.” &nbsp;[ . . .] women may face discrimination within their household, within the labor market and in regard to services [ . . .] “Most of the marginalized population often ends up in low-paying or informal jobs that do not provide a dependable stream or income and are often characterized by precarious working conditions [ . . .] Additionally, unaffordable transit fares and disconnect from the public transportation network further suppresses access to economic opportunities.”



Rapid population growth is overwhelming decision-makers in these cities, making it difficult to gain attention or funding for inclusion efforts – even though addressing those issues today will be far less expensive and difficult than adding them later to infrastructure that will be built over the next 20 years.



Inclusive city projects in Asia



Even in the face of such challenges, cases of success exist in developing countries. Examples from the World Bank’s Inclusive Cities initiative include:




Vietnam, where low-income areas in Ho Chi Minh City were often flooded. Coupled with an inadequate sanitation system, the flooding caused serious health and environmental risks. Rather than forcing residents from their makeshift homes, as so often happens in “urban renewal” projects, the Vietnam Urban Upgrading project focused on upgrading what existed, and gave voice to marginalized citizens. Households in the upgraded area received certificates of tenure for their homes, and an NGO microcredit program provided home-improvement and income-generation loans. In all, 7.5 million urban poor received upgraded water and sewerage connections, plus roads, lakes, canals and bridges designed to minimize the risk of flooding.



Cameroon, where the Inclusive and Resilient Cities Development project is helping seven cities improve 650,000 residents’ access to infrastructure, services and economic opportunities. Based on input from local residents, the investments include roads, street lighting, water supply, community centers, economic programs for the cities’ youth, and pilot projects to improve pedestrian mobility.








Brazil&#8217;s inclusive cities&#8217; pioneer



Worldwide, many city leaders are drawing inspiration from the legacy of Jaime Lerner, a Brazilian architect who brought inclusivity to his town of Curitiba, in the Brazilian state of Paraná. As the first director of the IPUCC (Institute of Urban Planning of Curitiba), and later as the town’s mayor, he pioneered inclusive urban planning in Brazil.



With a focus on reducing urban sprawl, Lerner’s Pilot Plan of Curitiba “created a green belt around the city in sixty areas reserved for parks, specifically areas subject to flooding. Half a century later, the whole city enjoys 16 parks, 14 forests and over 1,000 public green spaces, many of which are dedicated to celebrating the multicultural history of the country.”



Lerner protected the town’s green areas by clustering development along an extensive network of mass transit that came to be known as the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. Today, the BRT concept has spread around the globe, with 168 cities worldwide operating BRT lines that carry more than 31 million people per day.



To make access to the BRT more affordable, assist with education, provide food and clean up the city, Lerner created the “Green Exchange” program. It allowed low-income residents to trade trash and recyclable paper for public transport passes, student laptops and food. In just a few years, residents exchanged 11,000 tons of trash for 1 million bus passes.



In the 20 years ending in 1995, the economy of Curitiba increased 75% more than the GDP of Paribá and 48% more than the GDP of Brazil as a whole. Walking and cycling account for 42% of daily trips in the city, while public transport accounts for 28%, giving Curitiba one of the region’s lowest traffic fatality rates and better-than-average air quality.



Final thoughts



Making cities inclusive comes with difficult challenges in both the developed and the developing world. However, with the UN, World Bank and dozens of other global organizations focused on giving voice to those who have been excluded from planning their cities, metropolitan areas are actively sharing proven inclusivity strategies from pioneers like Jaime Lerner, with the support of enlightened design and engineering firms like Arup. Together, with the ability to simulate, test and refine how cities operate on virtual twins, the chances of a more inclusive future are looking up. &nbsp;&nbsp;



Related resources:




What is a sustainable city? A circular economy and other emerging characteristics



Climate-resilient infrastructure is putting people first all over the world



Does your city use data for smart, sustainable planning?



How is the private sector keeping your private data safe? Exploring the sovereign cloud and more

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      <![CDATA[ If we built a city of the future, what would it look like? ]]>
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      <link>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/industries/cities-public-services/if-we-built-a-city-of-the-future-what-would-it-look-like/</link>
      <guid>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/guid/268850</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 06 Sep 2024 11:43:17 GMT</pubDate>
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      <![CDATA[ Breaking ground on a new urban area provides an excellent opportunity to explore what an ideal city could look like. 
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      <![CDATA[ 
Jakarta is sinking. Quickly.



The Indonesian capital faces a host of issues. A combination of its physical location in a low basin with 13 rivers flowing into it, rising sea levels from climate change, and illegal wells being dug by residents, the city is sinking and susceptible to flooding. On top of that, it’s overcrowded and is the most polluted city in the world as of 2023.



Fixing these problems has proved so tricky that the government decided to take a new route: they’re building a new capital city, Nusantara, a proposed city of the future, from the ground up.



The trials and tribulations of today’s urban areas



Nusantara’s construction is an ambitious project and not one free from controversy or difficulty. Building a brand-new city requires a perfect storm of politics, capital, land and more. Indonesia is now experiencing fallout as funding for the $33 billion+ project begins to dry up, and critics mount complaints, pointing out problems with the new city’s location on a sparsely inhabited island lacking Jakarta’s population, infrastructure and more.&nbsp;



Jakarta’s situation is hardly unique. Cities around the world are in a tough spot. They’re already home to half the world’s population and are expected to absorb billions more residents in the years to come. They’re expensive and becoming more so. They’re feeling the effects of climate change. Mitigation of these issues is challenging, and that’s putting it lightly.



In Venice, climate change is impossible to ignore. As sea levels rise, the daily floods that are a hallmark of the city continue to worsen, and some projections estimate the Italian island will be underwater by 2100. Florida’s hotspot destination Miami may soon face the same fate, as ever-more devastating hurricanes hit the city. Longyearbyen, the world’s northernmost city, can’t escape climate change either: cold as it is, it&#8217;s the fastest-warming city on the globe.&nbsp;



Besides environmental risks, urban locales around the globe are simultaneously growing rapidly while also becoming exorbitantly more expensive. Shanghai, a megacity, has added more than 15 million new residents since 2000 and the trend of population growth there is mimicked in cities across the Asian continent. In Istanbul, a growing city with more than 16 million inhabitants, housing prices skyrocketed over 300% between March 2023 and March 2024.







The possibilities of tomorrow: Brand-new cities



Given the challenges urban areas like these face, it’s almost a wonder that more governments aren’t taking the steps that Indonesia is. More often than not, it’s too difficult to start building a city from scratch, but the task, while tricky, isn’t impossible to pull off. It just depends on how it’s approached.



In the 1990s, a new urban design concept was taking off. New Urbanism prioritized walkability, sustainability and community. Today, it sounds idyllic, though it was perhaps ahead of its time. New Urbanism produced just one city of note: Seaside, Florida. Though it didn’t catch on the way its originators hoped, it opened the door for a new way of thinking about the future of urban areas.



That’s evident in Saudi Arabia’s construction of an entirely new region in the desert, which will eventually be home to a 170-kilometer-long linear city aptly named The Line. Nestled in the proposed new region of NEOM, The Line will be a 15-minute city, an urban locale in which all essential services will be accessible by foot, bicycle or public transportation within a quarter-hour. The difference between The Line and Nusantara, though, is the reason behind it. While Indonesia seriously needs a new capital, Saudi Arabia is testing the limits of current conceptions of urban areas because they can. The press release announcing the project highlighted that NEOM’s The Line “redefines the concept of urban development and what cities of the future should look like.”



The project is a nod to the notion that cities from scratch aren’t just a possibility but an opportunity for innovation. The cities of the future might take inspiration from the ones we live in today, but they also present a chance to dream up fascinating new ways of life. Creating them requires a new way of thinking and a toolkit that’s bolstered by emerging technologies that take dreamt-up ideas to reality.



Integrating sustainability for futuristic cities



If we’re dreaming up a city of the future, it’s possible to design it in a way that works for its residents and the environment in tandem. Making environmentally friendly decisions from the ground up is a real possibility for cities starting from the ground up.



From considering how buildings are constructed to where greenery is planted, there is unlimited potential for creating a green city from scratch.



“Cities can impose building regulations on new developments or support more specific measures, such as energy-efficient renovation of certain buildings. But they can also promote the creation of eco-neighborhoods aimed at attracting new residents,” explained Ismail Hamoumi, a business value consultant specialist in the Cities &amp; Public Services Industry at Dassault Systèmes.



A holistic approach, viewing buildings as parts of an ecosystem, could be a core component of a future city’s ethos. Creating that eco-neighborhood might be done by using green steel for railway infrastructure projects, paving roads with sustainable concrete or using AI-powered traffic lights to reduce congestion and carbon emissions. Identifying new and sustainable ways to carry out necessary construction would be a viable way to produce an urban landscape that’s green from the ground up.



Rennes: Not new, but renewed 



Before breaking ground, city planners need to consider not just where buildings will go or how tall they’ll be, but how they interact with one another to create a built environment. When the city of Rennes was planning to reinvigorate a neighborhood in the French metropole, they built a virtual twin on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to see exactly this.







It contained reams of interactive, layered data, including air quality sensors and power demands across different neighborhoods, but it also showed how and when different buildings receive sun exposure and create shadows. With that information, they could best understand where to build solar panels so they’d collect the maximum amount of snulight to create renewable power sources for the city. It also helped them understand which plants might thrive in those areas, as adding greenery to urban areas is an excellent way to provide shade and fresh air, hallmarks of a livable place.



The twin also included an integration so that contractors could easily upload blueprints of potential buildings and citizens could add their input on the project. This level of collaboration is the cornerstone of virtual twins and is crucial for endeavors like these that need to take into account significant amounts of data, zoning restrictions, public opinion and more.



What will cities look like in 2050?



Rennes isn’t the first city to use virtual twin technology for city planning. Way back in 2014, Singapore conducted a large-scale project to map the entire city-state virtually using Dassault Systemes’ technology. By creating a digital-first landscape, the Singaporean government is easily keyed into any and all possible changes to the city’s architecture, its resistance to climate change and heat, population fluctuations and more.



Other cities around the globe are also beginning to integrate technology into their governance and infrastructure. &nbsp;Boston recently announced the city is using Google’s Green Light program, which uses AI to improve traffic light timing to reduce congestion and emissions. Chicago boasts self-dimming streetlights to lower the unnecessary energy consumption used to run traditional ones. A recent United Nations report noted that AI can be wielded to best coordinate government services, draft documentation, automate governance processes and standardize operations to streamline them.



The same technology that powers these projects can be easily applied to Nusantara or The Line. But to build cities of the future, the key might be to start small, like what the city of Rennes, Boston, Chicago and Singapore did. Working with individual streets or local neighborhoods and creating livable, sustainable places could lead to bigger schemes down the line.







&#8220;It&#8217;s true that a small project can initiate larger initiatives,&#8221; explained Hamoumi. &#8220;We&#8217;ve seen this in certain areas where model neighborhoods have influenced large parts of cities. We&#8217;re talking about operations that can affect different urban scales, from the building to the city as a whole,&#8221; he added.



What is certain is that the cities of the future will benefit from including technology in their planning processes, in their construction and in their infrastructure. While starting from scratch with a brand-new city means it’s possible to integrate tech into every touchpoint, even cities already on the map are making use of the new technology-first landscape we live in.



Making use of integrated data in a virtual setting will allow urban planners and policymakers to create scientifically-backed blueprints of changes that will benefit their citizens. By taking the most informed approach and applying it at scale, the cities of tomorrow can be better than we could possibly imagine.
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      <![CDATA[ How is the private sector keeping your private data safe? Exploring the sovereign cloud and more ]]>
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      <link>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/industries/cities-public-services/how-is-the-private-sector-keeping-your-private-data-safe-exploring-the-sovereign-cloud-and-more/</link>
      <guid>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/guid/267257</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 23 Jul 2024 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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      <![CDATA[ We’re generating and sharing more data than ever. What are government and public sector organizations doing to keep our private information from falling into the wrong hands? 
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      <![CDATA[ 
We live in a time when we create, consume and store vast amounts of data on a daily basis. Whether you’re browsing the internet, watching TV or scrolling on social media, the data you generate carries immense value as it reveals all sorts of personal information about your habits and preferences. And that’s exactly why governments – and businesses – are looking for ways to unlock more insights from it.



In early 2024, the European Union introduced new rules around the sharing of data with the aim of driving innovation. The rules give consumers greater control over how their data is used, and at the same time encourage public and private sector organizations to share data between themselves, including industrial data coming from connected objects – known as the internet of things (IoT). The US has put in place similar measures to make data more readily available – all steps in the right direction as the world moves toward data-driven decisions and greater transparency.



Yet, as more data is generated and shared, we make ourselves more vulnerable to security threats. Growing concerns around how sensitive information is used and shared means that public bodies are increasingly asking for solutions to secure data and ensure data sovereignty – whereby data is subject to the laws of the country or region in which it is produced and stored.



One solution gaining prominence is sovereign clouds. These independent cloud systems store data within a specific location and protect it from foreign access, meaning that users can be sure their data complies with all the latest data privacy and security standards. They’re already proving their worth in highly regulated industries such as aerospace and defense and life sciences and healthcare. Now, they’re also fast becoming a way for cities and local bodies to secure their digital transformation.



In conversation with Dassault Systèmes’ Cities and Public Services business consultant Ismail Hamoumi, we discuss the implications of opening up data and how it can be protected within sovereign clouds:







Rules such as the European Data Act and the Data Governance Act intend to support and build trust in data sharing for the benefit of businesses and citizens. What are the advantages of enhanced data sharing across sectors and EU countries?



Open data makes public action more transparent, comprehensible and accessible. By systematizing the exchange and sharing of data between departments and local authorities, open data reduces the time it takes to access and process information, increases the efficiency of processes and, ultimately, improves cities and public services.



This openness also encourages organizations to share more reliable data. How is this having a positive impact for the public sector and citizens?



The result is an overall improvement in the quality of data and databases, providing better analysis tools and more in-depth knowledge of regions. Other benefits include a rising index of confidence in public players and greater citizen involvement, leading to better understanding of local dynamics. The re-use of public data by companies contributes to the development of new products and services and facilitates the emergence of innovative projects that improve the quality of life of local residents.



What are the main concerns the public sector and governments face in terms of data security? What measures do they need in place to protect data and build resilience?



Data security is a fundamental concern, in so far as the current digital transformation is generating a substantial amount of data covering citizens, public services and administrative activities. This data may include sensitive, private information so it must be secured and protected. Cyber security tools and stringent security protocols play a critical role. Organizations also have a duty to make sure their staff properly manage data, are aware of the latest security risks and receive ongoing training. 



How do sovereign cloud architectures offer a way for the public sector to adhere to ever-stringent data security regulations and pursue innovation?



Sovereign cloud solutions help public sector bodies secure their data and comply with local and regional regulations. They create an infrastructure that facilitates the management and protection of sensitive data. They also offer clear advantages over the acquisition of costly infrastructures and the provision of maintenance and cyber security services.



How can Dassault Systèmes support cities and public services organizations with their data strategies?



By providing them with an infrastructure like the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud that facilitates data management, product lifecycle management and rights management, Dassault Systèmes gives them guarantees in terms of process robustness, cyber security and the ability to add value to the data they hold. This data is not only aggregated at the platform level but is also made accessible to players in a data-sharing logic, opening up new opportunities for cross-fertilizing and enhancing the information available to them.



Related resources




Does your city use data for smart, sustainable planning?



What is the sovereign cloud?



Cities &amp; public services: data sovereignty 

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      <![CDATA[ Does your city use data for smart, sustainable planning? ]]>
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      <link>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/industries/cities-public-services/does-your-city-use-data-for-smart-sustainable-planning/</link>
      <guid>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/guid/266613</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 09 Jul 2024 05:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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      <![CDATA[ Forward-thinking cities around the world are using the latest tech – including virtual twins and simulation capabilities – to enrich city planning data and better serve their citizens. 
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Over half of the world’s eight billion population now lives in cities. These vibrant, diverse and ever-evolving urban centers are responsible for the vast proportion of global economic activity, yet they are also under threat. Rapid urbanization, climate change, aging infrastructures and frequent natural disasters already affect countless lives. Unless governments and city leaders take action and find ways to improve access to basic services, affordable housing, clean, efficient transportation and green spaces, even more people face an uncertain future.



To tackle these challenges head on and build truly climate-resilient cities and urban infrastructures, government authorities are fast learning that it’s not enough to simply amass data about the cities they run and the services they deliver. If they are to truly understand how to make citizens’ lives better, they must translate big data into actionable insights.



One way to do that is through virtual twins.



With virtual twins you can test out proposed improvements in the virtual world first and pinpoint vulnerable areas and build context-specific strategies that address both environmental and social concerns. Equipped with this information, governments can then work closely alongside local stakeholders and city planners to make sure any interventions are not only effective but resonate with the unique needs and priorities of the people they serve.











We caught up with Dassault Systèmes’ Cities and Public Services business consultant Ismail Hamoumi about how public sector organizations can make better use of their data and take advantage of the latest virtual twin and simulation capabilities to anticipate future risks and develop effective solutions for the cities of today and tomorrow:



Urban planning data is now one of the most important assets for public sector organizations and businesses. How can it be harnessed for the benefit of cities and public services?



The digital revolution and the proliferation of the internet of things (IoT) has created a context in which data is omnipresent but usually lacking in quality. To get the most value from data, public sector players must determine how they intend to collect, aggregate, structure and use it. With this information, they can do things like:




Get a holistic understanding of the city complexity by integrating multiple systems such as transportation, education, housing, parks, etc.



Better manage urban projects



Facilitate collaboration by breaking siloes



Improve relations with citizens



Optimize public consultations surrounding public policies




Backed by virtual twin capabilities, whereby local authorities create a virtual representation of their territory, they can take this a step further and virtually test their public policies, work on territorial planning or simulate certain crisis situations, such as flooding or heat waves.



How can virtual twin experiences be used to connect the virtual and physical worlds and provide greater visibility of what’s happening in cities and public services?



City leaders can recreate the exact replica of their territory in a virtual twin to facilitate choices, analyse the impacts of future projects or anticipate a crisis. In the context of urban planning, virtual twins have powerful capabilities for envisioning and implementing public policies and urban plans before they manifest in the real world. This capability allows for a meticulous analysis of potential outcomes and empowers public administrators to foresee the implications of various policy choices and urban developments.



Dassault Systèmes’ products and solutions have supported cities and public players in various fields. For urban planning, our teams are proud to have supported the city of Rennes Métropole by enabling them to digitize their heritage and help them plan and build new districts. Our technology has helped them facilitate remote data sharing in order to simulate, plan and manage the city in a collaborative way, to develop effective public policies.



Additionally, Dassault Systèmes was able to model the Paris mayor’s decision to allocate a lane of the Paris Ring Road to car sharing to help with traffic and decrease CO2 emissions. Through simulation, we could scientifically analyze the impact on the traffic itself &#8211; with and without incentives for car sharing &#8211; and on air and noise pollution for residents of the neighborhood.







In what ways can data analytics be used to build strategies that address both environmental concerns and social equity?



Tackling the environmental and climate crisis requires a detailed diagnosis of the current state of our activities. Yet many regions do not have a clear picture of their carbon footprint. Collecting and cross-referencing data on mobility flows, logistics, pollutants from industrial activities and energy consumption will help to highlight correlations or causalities between different phenomena in an urban space and determine how polluting activities impact populations. Elected representatives can then develop more scientific and robust approaches to steering their public policies and combating the causes of climate change.



Environmental concerns are now very related to health and social equity. Therefore, local authorities have to ensure quality of life is similar and for all residents wherever the area they live in.



How might virtual twin and simulation capabilities support sustainability initiatives?



The outcomes of sustainability initiatives can be very complex to track. However, with virtual twin and simulation capabilities, one can analyze the real impact of different factors – such as traffic – on a given area. By using advanced simulation to model and quantify the impact of traffic, congestion, air, and noise pollution, city officials can use this information and make smarter decisions – like deciding that a given pedestrian area should not allow motorcycles, as it would therefore worsen congestion and air quality for its citizens.



Public sector organizations need to be able to understand the unique needs and priorities of the people they serve. What data driven city planning solutions are available to help them do this effectively?



Citizen participation is key to ensuring the adoption of new public policies. This can be achieved through workshops, interviews and surveys as well as monitoring usage rates of public transport, sports facilities, cultural services and libraries.



Some cities use virtual twins to demonstrate new projects to their residents. Métropole de Rennes in France has a “project house” where citizens can meet city representatives to view future projects and ask questions. &nbsp;It is also key to listen to citizens’ opinions which is possible with data analytics tools using sophisticated natural language processing and semantic analysis capabilities to the table so that municipalities can glean insights from vast quantities of unstructured text data, such as social media posts, public feedback, and other digital communications. This allows them to capture regular feedback from the public on a variety of issues and events related to the city and tailor communication strategies to better meet the community’s needs.



In what areas are virtual twins having the greatest impact?



Whether it is managing natural resources or planning new urban developments, virtual twin capabilities help local authorities make more informed decisions. Some virtual twin technology even offer advanced simulation tools to test and analyze structural, fluid and electromagnetic properties within urban environments – ideal for understanding how proposed public policies and urban infrastructures will perform under a variety of conditions, including extreme weather events and high-stress situations.



Other potential uses of the virtual twin include:




Precise planning and optimized renovation: The virtual twin of the territory can integrate a variety of BIM models for simplifying and better organizing building management and multi-site renovation processes. It redefines project management, smoothing out the entire workflow and making best use of available resources.





Promoting sustainability and circularity initiatives: The virtual twin helps to identify circularity potential and understand local climate and environmental issues, becoming a real lever for informing public decision-makers about current and future risks.








What makes Dassault Systèmes an ideal technology partner for public sector organizations and local authorities?



Dassault Systèmes’ approach is characterized by close collaboration with municipalities, understanding their unique challenges, and tailoring our solutions to these needs. Our virtual twin experiences for infrastructure and cities are not just tools but partners in driving economic development and enhancing the quality of urban life. By integrating our solutions, cities can optimize resource allocation, streamline operations, identify environmental risks (air pollution, flooding and heatwaves), and ultimately enhance the efficiency of public services.



Final thoughts



As people continue moving into cities and climate change continues to pose a threat, using data for city planning for smarter decision-making will become critical. Whether it’s analyzing the impact of traffic on air pollution, planning for crisis situations like flooding and heat waves, or gaining citizen feedback on new public policies, virtual twins can help city planners with their most complicated urban projects.



Related resources




Cities &amp; Public Services



Climate-resilient infrastructure is putting people first all over the world



What is a sustainable city? A circular economy and other emerging characteristics



Virtual twin experiences in infrastructure &amp; cities

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      <![CDATA[ Virtual twins: Visualizing the future of cities ]]>
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      <guid>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/guid/261229</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 09:21:33 GMT</pubDate>
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      <![CDATA[ Virtual twins offer smart cities a transformative tool for informed decision-making, improved governance, and enhanced urban planning capabilities.
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By Jacques Beltran, Vice President, Cities &amp; Public Services Industry, Dassault Systèmes



Today’s smart city platforms are primarily geared towards streamlining everyday administration, which doesn’t fully encompass their potential. Mayors and city planners face multiple challenges requiring more detailed, accurate and futuristic planning capabilities.



The cornerstone of a smart city is data, which can be gathered directly by city administrations or through IoT sensors. Additionally, the ecosystem surrounding the city administration can also source data. Despite the availability of these sources, many cities across the world are struggling to collect data and drive actionable insights from it. Some cities are accumulating data, but these data reside in siloes.



For a true smart city experience, integrating this data into a virtual twin of the city is necessary. Before investing in a virtual twin, city administrators must be clear about the use cases they can deliver with the technology. Ultimately, virtual twins are key to designing the future of cities.




A virtual twin is indeed a fully science-based and&nbsp;virtual replica of the city. It enables city planners to input data based on what-if scenarios, choose the best outcomes, and then implement them in the real world.




So, where do cities start in deploying virtual twins? In addition to data availability, the key challenges in implementing virtual twins include political will and financial resources. Leaders must convey the value of this technology to their citizens and political superiors.



Which is the optimal path to deploying virtual twins for cities?







Directly implementing virtual twin technologies and managing them would require technology capabilities that most cities today lack. Advanced cities typically have the political will, the data, and the financial resources to purchase and implement the necessary software for building and operating the virtual twin.







Such cities have reached a high level of digital maturity and can train their staff to use high-end virtual twin technologies daily. Singapore, for example, is a city-state that has&nbsp;achieved significant maturity in using virtual twins&nbsp;for its city master planning.




For cities lacking the resources or technological maturity for deploying virtual twin technologies, one approach is to employ such technologies through a consultant or the solution provider to understand the best outcomes for a specific departmental pain point.




In such scenarios, the consultant operates the virtual twin applications, interpreting and providing results to the city administrators. It is advisable for cities planning to implement virtual twins to do so incrementally, focusing initially on specific areas like traffic management and pollution, or natural risks such as flooding.



For example, a city may seek access to the results of a flooding simulation without purchasing the software licenses. How does the flooding scenario and subsequent decisions impact the built environment, water resources, or car traffic? Normally, cities would hire a consultant who would provide an in-depth report in paper or PDF form, which is challenging to communicate.



Today, these consulting companies can build a virtual twin of the city to visualize result-based action plans in a 3D digital model. Such a model is more universally comprehensible. City executives can input parameters and analyze them in real time.



In a flooding scenario, if the government must decide whether to close a tunnel road and temporarily reroute traffic, they need to assess if this closure is beneficial or detrimental. With a virtual twin, the decision isn’t just about good or bad; it’s about how to transform a potentially bad decision into a good one based on various parameters.



The virtual twin helps city executives in understanding that the closure decision can be beneficial under certain conditions based on what-if scenarios. Instead of closing the tunnel and disrupting traffic, they can clearly understand the conditions that allow the tunnel to remain operational and those necessitating its closure.



Once city executives recognize the effectiveness of virtual twins in one area, obtaining the necessary political support and financial resources to extend their use becomes easier.




The virtual twin can help connect the dots among data from different departments, consolidating it into the virtual twin to create a 3D model of a decision.&nbsp;




This provides a singular, reliable source of truth for the city administration to act upon.



Start small and scale







With just a fraction of their annual budgets, cities with populations of 200,000 or more can afford to make the best decisions on issues like flooding or rising sea levels using virtual twins. City officials can thereby deliver clear value to their citizens and political hierarchy, particularly in sustainability initiatives, while alleviating pressure on themselves.



Smart city solutions enable city administrators to zero in on the optimal decisions within the constraints of their city’s infrastructure through 3D visualizations. This allows them to accurately assess the impact of changing the usage rules of existing infrastructure. The ability to make informed decisions within existing constraints is a key aspect of smart cities, because cities cannot always build new tunnels or bridges to solve challenges.



Virtual twins help administrators in understanding the objective, scientific basis of decisions. This enhances the decision-making process, dramatically changing the approach of local city governance. This is exactly what a smart city solution is supposed to do.



This article was first published on Frontier Enterprise.




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      <![CDATA[ Climate-resilient infrastructure is putting people first all over the world ]]>
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      <link>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/industries/cities-public-services/climate-resilient-infrastructure-is-putting-people-first-all-over-the-world/</link>
      <guid>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/guid/256107</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 21 Feb 2024 16:49:17 GMT</pubDate>
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      <![CDATA[ Climate change is impacting how people live. New approaches to urban planning and climate-resilient infrastructure will help people prepare for and adapt to dramatic changes.
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In early January of this year, a powerful earthquake struck central Japan, destroying buildings, causing power outages that disrupted transportation and communication and sparking fires that consumed part of an urban center with a population of 27,000. Preliminary reports put the death toll at 55.



In India, extreme heat waves, with temperatures reaching up to 115 degrees Fahrenheit, have caused the deaths of thousands of people. The problem is particularly deadly in cities, where “urban heat islands” of densely-packed construction raise the temperature, trap air pollution and hamper air circulation.



From fires and floods to heat waves and earthquakes, the impact of extreme weather and other natural disasters is felt around the world. When bad weather strikes, it can lead to a variety of negative outcomes for the impacted community, impacting local economies, businesses, infrastructure, schools and hospitals and even the ability to provide basic services.&nbsp;



Climate change and its consequences are changing the way people live and new approaches to urban planning that prioritize sustainability and climate-resilient infrastructure have become necessary. Fortunately, many of the world’s cities are already responding to the impact of climate change, creating a future where urban space puts the needs of people first while avoiding further environmental degradation.







What is climate-resilient infrastructure?



According to The Organization for European Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), &nbsp;climate-resilient infrastructure is “planned, designed, built and operated to anticipate, prepare for and adapt to changing climate conditions.” One way to do this is by building infrastructure in a way that is highly respectful of the natural world, or establishing “symbiosis” – that is, countering the impacts of human activity by designing for nature as well as for people, generating multiple benefits.&nbsp;



Elements of climate-resilient infrastructure that are also symbiotic include green infrastructure, which uses natural features like rain gardens to manage stormwater, and green roofs and walls to reduce urban heat islands and encourage wildlife habitats. Other examples include:




Bike lanes and pedestrian walkways to reduce air pollution and alleviate traffic congestion



Urban agriculture to alleviate food deserts



Smart growth to make cities walkable and mass-transit oriented



Renewable energy such as solar and wind powers to reduce greenhouse gasses and improve air quality








Examples of climate-resilient infrastructure



With rising pressure around the world to build more sustainable cities, there are already many examples of climate-resilient infrastructure that we can draw inspiration from. Below are some examples.



The Pixel Building in Melbourne, Australia is the world’s first office building with no carbon dioxide emissions. Described as “the multi-colored building with the green heart,” it’s people-pleasing colorful translucent recycled panels that cover the building structure keep in heat to enhance energy efficiency. The rooftop houses wind turbines and solar panels and a rainwater collection and filtering system that provides water used in the building’s plumbing and refrigeration systems.&nbsp;











Another example is Bahrain’s World Trade Center, which harnesses the winds off the Persian Gulf to generate electricity via turbines set between dramatic towers rising above the capital city of Manama, designed to provide up to 15% of the center’s energy needs.&nbsp;



The Amager Bakke waste-to-energy plant, completed in 2017, burns 400,000 tons of municipal solid waste annually, providing electricity and heat for 150,000 homes in Copenhagen, Denmark. It also doubles as a recreation and environmental education center, sporting a sloped roof that serves as a year-round artificial ski slope, hiking slope and features the world’s tallest climbing wall, all open to the public.



The Bosco Verticale in Milan, Italy, is an apartment complex that also functions as a vertical forest, with more than 2,000 tree species on terraces along the buildings’ façade to increase the biodiversity of plant and animal species in the region through “vertical greening.”&nbsp;



And the International Hall in Fukuoka, Japan, designed by Emilio Ambasz, an internationally-renowned pioneer of green architecture, features a mountain-like public park with 15 garden terraces where plantings moderate the building’s internal temperature, and support local wildlife.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The Vancouver Convention Centre West in downtown Vancouver, Canada, has a hive of European honeybees installed on the roof to pollinate the more than 400,000 indigenous&nbsp; rooftop plants and grasses, which in turn, reduce heat in the summer and retain it in winter. The complex also houses a restored marine habitat built into the foundation of the building, and recycles gray and black water for toilet flushing and rooftop irrigation.



Using virtual twin technology to build resilient infrastructure



As urban centers plan for a sustainable future, developments in technology will allow cities to improve the health of the people who live there by simulating and testing scenarios to visualize and predict not only potential natural disasters and an infrastructure’s ability to withstand them, but impacts of disease transmission and air quality on citizens’ health.



3D modeling to protect against natural disasters



Pacific Consultants of Japan adopted the Dassault Systemes 3DEXPERIENCE platform to design infrastructure to better protect that country’s population from natural disasters including typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding and landslides. The company used 3D modeling in CATIA to come up with new infrastructure designs and find effective solutions faster for calculating volumes of soil sediment for dam design, which allows the company to control erosion, reduce project costs and find creative ways to solve critical problems to improve public safety.



Modeling ventilation systems in hospitals



In Paris, Saint-Lous Hospital—APHP is improving the health of its immunocompromised patients by modeling its ventilation system on Dassault Systemès virtual twin platform to prevent respiratory transmission of viruses that could be dangerous to fragile patients undergoing kidney dialysis treatment. By simulating particle contamination to visualize and predict the transmission of viral particles through the air, engineers were able to see how a patient at one end of a room cold contaminate a patient at the other end of the room, and improved air flow and filtration in response.



Improving air quality through art



Architect Kengo Kuma used Dassault Systemès 3DEXPERIENCE platform to create “Breath/ng,” an architectural and artistic response to environmental concerns over air quality. This textile sculpture can absorb the polluting emissions of 90,000 cars per year. The origami-style structure was created using the CATIA solution, and consists of 120 panels of an air purifying textile that captures pollutants that cleans fine particles and generates cleaner air, for a decorative installation that is also responsive to the needs of society.&nbsp;



Creating a new building skin through biomimicry



Building facades that maintain stable temperatures inside structures will reduce the urban heat island effect that is driving up temperatures in the world’s cities. Smart Panel is using the Dassault Systemès 3DEXPERIENCE platform to create a new building envelope inspired by nature, distributing saline-based fluids within a network of channels in interconnected façade panels. The homeostasis created by the flow of liquid replaces air conditioning, leading to reduced energy consumption and drastic savings throughout the building’s lifecycle.



3D modeling to protect against natural disasters



In Japan, Dassault Systèmes and NTT demonstrated the capabilities of city virtual twins to support the Smart Keihana Project sponsored by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. Keihanna city, one of Japan major city area has been virtually modeled in 3D for officials to visualize, analyze, collaborate, and make decisions across a wide range of measures and projects related to smart cities.



The Keihanna digital twin was created on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, consolidating information about construction buildings such as the number of floors, types of business and capacities to analyze potential impacts of river flooding. By incorporating NTT mobile spatial statistics in the virtual twin, users were able to see population movements in the area and better understand the impact of flooding on population. Information about evacuation centers were also available in the digital twin to support safe evacuation in the event of a disaster.&nbsp;



Final thoughts



The great challenge for our time is realizing a future where urban space is livable for humans while avoiding further environmental degradation.



Smart urban planning and the embrace of new technology are just part of the equation necessary to create sustainable and resilient cities equipped to face the challenges a changing climate presents. Cities focused on improving the lives of the people who live there are demonstrating that sustainable urban futures are possible for all of us.



Related resources




What is a sustainable city?



Designing cities to withstand heat



Smart Panel

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      <![CDATA[ Navigating Complex Architectural Projects with CATIA and xGenerative Design ]]>
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      <link>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/brands/catia/navigating-complex-architectural-projects-with-catia-and-xgenerative-design/</link>
      <guid>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/guid/253853</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 31 Jan 2024 10:06:13 GMT</pubDate>
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      <![CDATA[ Through the utilization of CATIA, Genx Design and Technology has been able to achieve a seamless exchange of information and data, resulting in enhanced productivity and successful project outcomes.
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Navigating the complexities of complex projects in architecture often presents challenges that necessitate innovative solutions. In this blog, we delve into the role of computational design in addressing these challenges. We explore the utilization of software solutions such as CATIA and xGenerative Design to streamline global collaboration and facilitate seamless communication between teams.



The integration of these tools has significantly impacted project delivery, enabling the breakdown of complex shapes into individual components and the successful completion of projects within set timelines.



The Role of Computational Design in Complex Projects



Today, we have the pleasure of welcoming John MiKesh, a computational designer at Genx Design and Technology. Genx Design and Technology is a consulting firm that assists building manufacturers in achieving complex projects. With a focus on communication between building manufacturers engineers and designers, they navigate the complexities of design intent, project complexity, and cost to ensure that complex projects become more manufacturable and remain under budget.



Genx Design and Technology utilizes a powerful web-based platform, CATIA, enabling their global team to collaborate seamlessly between their New York and Turkey offices.



The software&#8217;s ability to streamline global collaboration has been a game-changer for the firm, allowing it to effectively navigate the complexities of project design and fabrication. Through the utilization of CATIA, Genx Design and Technology has been able to achieve a seamless exchange of information and data, resulting in enhanced productivity and successful project outcomes.







The Power of xGenerative Design in Architecture



xGenerative Design is a key tool that has revolutionized the architecture and construction industry. With its built-in features, it has proven to be a game-changer in delivering complex projects. The software enables the encoding and embedding of vast amounts of information into the computational model, allowing for seamless collaboration and file sharing between global teams.



One of the most significant benefits of xGenerative Design is its ability to make life easier for computational designers as they work towards fabrication drawings. By having the design features already built into the system from the beginning, there is a reduced need to worry about them as deadlines and deliverables approach.








One of the key platforms that we use is 3DEXPERIENCE by CATIA. It is a very powerful web-based platforms that enables our global team to collaborate and share files between our New York and Turkey offices.- John Mikesh, Computational designer, GENx








Implementing xGenerative Design for Complex Projects



xGenerative Design has proven to be a powerful tool in the field of computational design, particularly in addressing the challenges of delivering complex projects. This innovative software solution has been utilized to effectively tackle intricate shapes and streamline the process of product system development. By leveraging xGenerative Design, complex shapes can be broken down into their individual components swiftly, allowing for efficient project management and execution.



The software&#8217;s capability to encode and embed a wealth of information into computational models beforehand has been instrumental in facilitating seamless adaptations to radical changes that may arise late in the project timeline. As a result, it significantly contributes to meeting deadlines and successfully completing projects.



Overall, the utilization of xGenerative Design has proven to be a game-changer in the realm of computational design, offering a robust solution for managing intricate projects and achieving optimal outcomes.







Conclusion



In conclusion, the utilization of software solutions such as CATIA and xGenerative Design has proven to be instrumental in addressing the challenges faced in delivering complex architectural projects. The integration of these tools facilitates global collaboration and seamless communication between teams, enabling the breakdown of complex shapes into individual components and the successful completion of projects within set timelines.



To watch this User Testimony and to discuss with thousands of CATIA experts, join the free online user community: go.3ds.com/catia






















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      <![CDATA[ What is a sustainable city? A circular economy and other emerging characteristics ]]>
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      <link>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/industries/cities-public-services/what-is-a-sustainable-city-a-circular-economy-and-other-emerging-characteristics/</link>
      <guid>https://blog--3ds--com.apsulis.fr/guid/250534</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 13 Dec 2023 19:16:24 GMT</pubDate>
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      <![CDATA[ A sustainable city is one that is created with the intention of reducing negative environmental impacts through urban planning, city management and activities pertaining to energy usage, transportation, use of natural resources, infrastructure, waste management and water.
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Cities are home to an estimated 56% of the population and this number is growing, with 5 billion people projected to live in urban areas by 2030. In order to plan for this population growth, combined with rising climate issues, aging infrastructure, limited space, waste management complexities and more, cities will need to adapt and develop more sustainable urban planning strategies.



The concept of a sustainable city was once viewed as a bit of a utopia. In this thriving green ecosystem, the sky is clear of smog and there are more pedestrians and cyclists than cars on the road. Well, as it turns out, we may be closer to achieving this fairytale than we think.



With cities responsible for about 70% of global greenhouse emissions, there is rising pressure from scientists and government officials to pivot how cities are created, reimagined and operated to be smarter and greener so that we can secure a safe future. But, what does a sustainable city look like? Let’s begin with a definition.











What is the definition of a sustainable city?



A sustainable city is one created with the intention of reducing negative environmental impacts through urban planning and city management. Through its activities, a sustainable city addresses social, environmental and economic impacts regarding energy usage, transportation, use of natural resources, infrastructure, waste management and water.



At their core, sustainable cities must be resilient. Whether it is due to the impact of climate change or the activity of humans, a sustainable city is a place where both citizens and ecosystems can not only co-exist but also thrive in the long-term.



What makes a city sustainable? 10 characteristics



There are many building blocks to making a city sustainable. While most cities today will not possess every one of these characteristics, the goal is to strive for as many as possible in order to achieve carbon neutrality and equitable climate action. 



1. Green space



Green space is a dedicated open space in a metropolitan area – like a park, garden, playground, or public plaza – that is free of the negative impacts of the buildings and modes of transportation that have a harsh impact on the environment.Green spaces can help the mental and physical health of citizens by being a space for adults and children alike to clear their minds from city noise and encourage recreational activity. They can also improve air quality, reduce noise, enhance biodiversity and regulate extreme temperatures by reducing carbon emission levels in cities. One type of green space increasingly tested out in cities is urban farms. This includes vertical gardens, rooftop farming, community gardens, or farms at schools. Supporting the growth of vegetation in your own city has many benefits, including boosting the local economy, providing locally sourced, healthy food for your community, cutting down on the energy required to ship food around the globe and even boosting community morale by turning underutilized spaces in your city into a beautiful landscape with walkable and bike-able neighborhoods. &nbsp;



Singapore is one city testing out urban farming and finding great success. With their “30 by 30” vision, they are striving to produce 30% of their food locally and sustainably by 2030. They’re using new and existing landscapes like the ground, the insides of buildings, walls and even rooftops to grow produce and herbs. Because much of their farming is concentrated indoors, growers can control water, temperature and soil conditions to avoid pests and diseases. It also enables them to harvest year-round regardless of the weather.



2. Circular economy and infrastructure



A circular economy is an economy that relies on its own resources like food, energy and materials to sustain itself. It embraces the principles of reuse, recycle, reduce, and remanufacture to minimize waste and extend the lifespan of products for as long as possible. Why is this important?



When we extend and renew the lifespan of materials, we can keep them for longer and avoid using new natural resources. This is in contrast to a linear economy, also known as a “take-make-waste” economy, which uses a fixed amount of resources with a limited lifespan to make products that aren’t used to their fullest potential and become waste.



Cities play a critical role in promoting a circular economy due to their economic activity, consumption and waste production. Because a circular economy affects all public policies managed by a city, urban planning with a keen focus on sustainability is critical. Whether it is waste treatment, energy, the purchase of materials, the recycling of urban equipment or building maintenance, it will take the collective teamwork of industries, local players, and stakeholders to create public policies and territorial strategies that foster the growth of circularity practices.



3. Solar panels and renewable energy



A sustainable city will utilize renewable energy to keep the electricity going in a variety of buildings like schools, offices and government buildings, and even households. Considered one of the most affordable and efficient forms of energy, solar is a powerful contributor to a circular economy due to its unlimited power source: the sun.



According to the international non-profit, CDP, of the 620+ global cities reported, over 100 now get at least 70% of their electricity from renewable sources such as hydro, solar, wind and geothermal. In fact, Atlanta, Paris and Vancouver have already achieved 100% renewable electricity and are on the path to 100% renewable energy, overall. These cities are paving the way by showing that transitioning to renewable energy is not only something cities want, but are pulling off.



4. New forms of mobility and transportation



Globally, the transportation sector is responsible for 20% of the emissions released into the atmosphere and is the second-largest contributing sector to carbon pollution. Cities are calling for alternative forms of transportation to gas-powered cars, like electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered cars, biking, taking the metro, or simply walking. City planners can do their part in encouraging alternatives to gas-powered cars by providing charging stations for electric vehicles, providing the proper funding for public forms of transportation, or creating suitable streets for bike paths. The public and private sector must work together with AI advancements to achieve a more efficient mobility ecosystem of electric vehicles keenly adapted to residents’ preferences.



Virtual twin technology is one way to help decision-makers analyze the impact of mobility changes in their territories. When Paris was appointed the 2024 Olympic Games host, their governing body knew they would have to create new transportation routes to help people move quickly from one Olympic location to the next. Dassault Systèmes created a digital twin demo based on Dassault Systèmes’ 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud to visualize the impact of dedicating one of three lanes as a carpool lane and its effects on traffic, air and noise pollution. This demo illustrates how science-based capabilities can help city decision-makers make informed decisions about transportation and mobility options in the city and use these decisions to drive future public policies.



5. Eco-friendly waste management



In traditional cities, waste is thrown away and ends up in a landfill where non-biodegradables and inorganic elements take a long time to decompose, hurting the environment. Additionally, outdated or aging sewer systems can easily become overwhelmed with stormwater and cause untreated wastewater to fall into local bodies of water, polluting them. Therefore, cities that wish to be sustainable should increasingly invest in new infrastructure, recycling programs, and composting mandates to break down waste better suited for the environment.



Additionally, cities can maximize the reuse, recycling and recovery of materials by implementing advanced selective collection, sorting, and treatment systems that allow cities to recover a large amount of potential resources present in waste. By saving raw materials, cities can reduce the environmental footprint and stimulate the local economy by creating job opportunities in the waste management sector.



6. Water conservation



With climate change accounting for droughts in more severity and frequency, finding new ways to conserve water in cities is more important than ever. Cities can implement water-saving techniques through programs that promote the installation of low-flush toilets, billing users based on the amount of water used, recycling water, and installing more efficient sprinkler systems. They can even install leak detection piping and smart meters that allow citizens to see how much water is being used and where. Some cities are even testing our rainwater harvesting, like Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. Green roofs harvest the city’s annual rainfall and rainwater is used for toilet flushing, irrigation, and fire systems, and any excess water is used to support outdoor waterscapes and natural habitats.



Another city paving the way in water conservation is Copenhagen, Denmark. They’ve introduced incentives and strict regulations for residents and businesses when it comes to water-saving practices. This includes public awareness campaigns that educate the community about the importance of responsible water use and the promotion of water-efficient fixtures and appliances. As a result, the average Copenhagener only uses 26 gallons of water a day. Compare this to the average U.S. citizen who uses up to 80 to 100 gallons a day.



7. Public transportation&nbsp;



Favorable public transportation options are increasingly becoming more prominent in green cities and many citizens are choosing to use it over other forms of mobility like cars. City planners and other decision makers are making investments in efficient infrastructure, promoting active modes of travel like walking and cycling, and integrating diverse transportation options like metro systems, electric trolleybuses, underground railways and maglev trains. By implementing smart technologies and adopting urban planning strategies that support transit-oriented development, sustainable cities can improve accessibility for their citizens and make a positive impact on environmental sustainability by reducing congestion and improving air quality.



8. Agricultural improvements and food production



Sustainable cities prioritize food production and agriculture through urban farming, rooftop gardens, and community-supported agriculture (CSA) initiatives. When food is locally sourced and maintained, it not only ensures food security within the community and helps meet the demand for safe, fresh food – it promotes organic farming methods that minimize chemical inputs while supporting biodiversity and improving soil health.



9. Waste management



Waste management is also a key focus area for sustainable cities, with many implementing recycling programs, composting initiatives, and waste-to-energy technologies that divert waste from landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Through public education and awareness campaigns, residents are encouraged to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials, contributing to a circular economy approach. Sustainable cities also implement strict regulations and policies on waste disposal to ensure proper segregation and disposal practices.



10. Embracing digitization



In order to create a city that is climate-resilient and ready for the future, long-term strategies need to be in place with the aid of technology. With the help of virtual twin technology, city planners can better understand which parts of the city are most impacted by climate change, simulate various scenarios and anticipate natural disasters before they happen. Additionally, technology can help them collect large amounts of data that can be used to create science-based objectives and meet their sustainability goals.



Furthermore, digital platforms enable circular economy principles to be applied on a larger scale by improving access to information, managing and tracking materials and increasing transparency. For example, you can use a digital platform to map out empty buildings to avoid new constructions and plan alternative uses of existing ones. Similarly, cities can optimize the use of parking space during the day and night by mapping their usage rates. Digital platforms have even gone as far as revolutionizing waste management by offering powerful tools for optimizing waste collection sorting and recovery. Leveraging real-time data, collection trucks can better communicate between various team members and plan more efficient routes for collecting waste. Over time, all of this data and information can be used by policymakers and stakeholders to instill change and foster the transition to circular economy practices.



Benefits of a sustainable city



Boosts equality



Low-income communities face challenges like not having access to clean water or healthy food, good-quality housing, safe transportation, water sanitation or energy. All of these components are especially affected by climate change and weather-related disasters. By making sustainable changes to infrastructure, making roads more accessible for walking and cycling, improving public transportation, water sanitation, growing local food, and more, city planners can improve the lives of underserved communities and boost equality.



Lowers CO2 emissions



With cities currently contributing 70% of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, city planners and the citizens who make up these urban hubs play a huge role in doing their part to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. All of the components of a sustainable city – alternative energy sources, reduced waste, green spaces, urban farming and more – were created with the intention of reducing the amount of greenhouse emissions put into the air. Even just shifting to one of these activities can make a positive impact on the environment due to how much of the global population resides in urban areas.



Improved health and wellness



Sustainable activities can greatly improve the health and wellness of the citizens who live there. Those who live in apartments with inadequate insulation or cooling are at risk for heat stroke. Air pollution, storming and flooding can lead to mold and bacteria that greatly affect the lungs. Power outages can lead to food spoilage and stomach viruses. Not having access to adequate green spaces can lead to an increase in obesity and poor mental health. When sustainable measures are put into place and cities are designed for the people who live in them, it leads to healthier and more fulfilling lives for all.



Reduces energy costs



Renewable energy sources, like solar farms and wind energy, contribute to a circular economy and help save money. According to research by Oxford University, ending the use of fossil fuels by 2050 can save the world at least roughly $12 trillion since key green technology costs are predicted to lower drastically as adoption increases. Over the last decade, renewable energy sources have dropped about 10% per year and researchers anticipate the costs continuing to fall. This is not only good news for the environment, but your wallet as well.



Sustainable cities: Opportunities to get started



Circularity as a response to city challenges



Experts in the field believe circularity is the answer to the challenges cities face. Instead of looking at cities as a collection of isolated issues to address like mobility, architecture and waste management, it’s now considered more effective to collaborate across multiple city industries and departments to gain a holistic view of the challenges their city faces. From there, collaborators can find ways to transition towards a circular economy and reduce CO2 emissions most effectively.











One way to work towards circularity is through technology like the 3DEXPERIENCE platform which brings all operations into a centralized environment. It provides a single source of truth for all stakeholders in the value chain and finds the right solutions for any given scenario. The platform also allows users to simulate cities virtually where designers can test out the most sustainable and cost-effective materials to use for new buildings and infrastructure, analyze data to help them understand how citizens are contributing to waste, find underutilized pockets of the city that can be transformed into green spaces and even utilize its built-in lifecycle assessment capabilities to monitor and measure the environmental impact of a product through its entire life cycle.



Embracing digital tools and innovation



In order to build the city of tomorrow, it will require people to think outside the box. The challenges the world faces today are very different than they were thousands of years ago and new, innovative ideas will be required to revolutionize and protect the places we call home. Many city planners simply don’t have the right tools to bring their ideas from inception to life which is where technology can help.



According to a recent report by ThoughtLab and co-sponsored by Dassault Systèmes, most future-ready cities are embracing digitalization as a way to anticipate and manage rising challenges. For example, virtual twins for cities can help city leaders understand the complexity of their territories by visualizing them in a 3D representation and experimenting with individual buildings, infrastructures and entire cities to create “what-if” scenarios to develop the best solutions for the future.



Examples of sustainable city projects



Rennes



Rennes Métropole was looking for a way to address the complexity of their city and involve all regional stakeholders using an innovative tool. Instead of working in silos as a traditional city does, they utilized the 3DEXPERIENCE platform on the cloud to work systematically for better planning and managing purposes. They created a virtual twin where all stakeholders can simulate the city and analyze mobility, demographics and health data to make appropriate decisions for the future of the city.



Hong Kong



The government of Hong Kong, China was looking to establish itself as a smart city and address urban challenges, quality of life, sustainability and operational efficiency. The city, jointly with ARUP engineering firm, chose the 3DEXPERIENCE platform as the foundation of the planning department and have used the centralized environment to solve challenges related to underground management, mobility, collaboration and approval. By visualizing Hong Kong in 3D, multiple departments are able to successfully leverage the large amounts of data available to them and use it to the benefit of its citizens.



Zenata Eco-City



Zenata Eco-City is one of the first eco-cities in Africa and is an example of an urban area being designed from the ground up to be sustainable. With a complete public transportation system, paths for pedestrians and cyclists, over a thousand acres of green space and 3 activity centers, Zenata was designed with the well-being of its citizens first. Moving forward, city planners, architects, engineers and other decision-makers plan on using the 3DEXPERIENCE platform to support collaboration, urban infrastructure design and to ensure their decisions are well aligned with their objectives to make Zenata a beautiful, future green city.



Related resources




Singapore engineers a future free of urban food insecurity



Vertical farming to boost urban sustainability



What sets future-ready cities apart? Embracing digitalization&nbsp;



What will the city of tomorrow look like? Presenting Urban Renaissance



What is the circular economy?

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