Digital Twins in Architecture and Urban Planning

At a time when technological innovations promise to shape our future for the better, urban digital twins are increasingly emerging as tools to modernize urban planning. With the help of their ability to simulate a city using real-time data and advanced analytical methods, digital twins can assist us in architecture and planning sector. These digital models are based on Internet of Things (IoT), machine learning, and augmented reality (AR), and promises the development of sustainable, efficient urban environments that meet human needs. However, as the adoption of this technology accelerates, it is crucial to pause and reflect on its profound implications. In other words, for technology to have a positive impact on humanity, it must be guided by philosophy. Martin Heidegger’s philosophy, particularly his phenomenological insights and concepts such as “framework” (Gestell), “building” (bauen), and “dwelling” (wohnen), provides a critical framework essential for this reflection. By revisiting Heidegger’s thought, we can see that a phenomenological approach is not only appropriate but also inevitable in evaluating and developing cutting-edge technologies such as urban planning. Without this phenomenological grounding, digital twins risk becoming tools of alienation, reducing cities to mere data sets and disconnecting us from the places we inhabit. By integrating Heidegger’s ideas, we ensure that technological advancements enhance our connection to the world. This study explores the potential of urban digital twins and how phenomenology safeguards, first, our culture in the societal sense, and second, against the dehumanizing tendencies of modern technology. The aim of the article is to ensure that urban digital twins serve as instruments of poiesis - a creative revealing of the world’s truth.