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Digital Twins for Climate-Responsive Urban Development: Integrating Zero-Energy Buildings into Smart City Strategies

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  • Osama Omar

    (Department of Architecture and Interior Design, College of Engineering, University of Bahrain, Manama P.O. Box 32038, Bahrain)

Abstract

As climate change intensifies the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, the urgency for resilient and sustainable urban development becomes increasingly critical. This study investigates the role of digital twins in advancing climate-responsive urban strategies, with a focus on their integration into zero-energy buildings (ZEBs) and smart city frameworks. A systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, covering 1000 articles initially retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science between 2014 and 2024. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 70 full-text articles were analyzed. Bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer revealed five key application areas of digital twins: energy efficiency optimization, renewable energy integration, design and retrofitting, real-time monitoring and control, and predictive maintenance. The findings suggest that digital twins can contribute to up to 30–40% improvement in building energy efficiency through enhanced performance monitoring and predictive modeling. This review synthesizes trends, identifies research gaps, and contextualizes the findings within the Middle Eastern urban landscape, where climate action and smart infrastructure development are strategic priorities. While offering strategic guidance for urban planners and policymakers, the study also acknowledges limitations, including the regional focus, lack of primary field data, and potential publication bias. Overall, this work contributes to advancing digital twin applications in climate-resilient, zero-energy urban development.

Suggested Citation

  • Osama Omar, 2025. "Digital Twins for Climate-Responsive Urban Development: Integrating Zero-Energy Buildings into Smart City Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-18, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:15:p:6670-:d:1706962
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Giorgio Caprari & Giordana Castelli & Marco Montuori & Marialucia Camardelli & Roberto Malvezzi, 2022. "Digital Twin for Urban Planning in the Green Deal Era: A State of the Art and Future Perspectives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-16, May.
    2. Angélica Pigola & Priscila Rezende da Costa & Luísa Cagica Carvalho & Luciano Ferreira da Silva & Cláudia Terezinha Kniess & Emerson Antonio Maccari, 2021. "Artificial Intelligence-Driven Digital Technologies to the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals: A Perspective from Brazil and Portugal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-28, December.
    3. Leal Filho, Walter & Wall, Tony & Rui Mucova, Serafino Afonso & Nagy, Gustavo J. & Balogun, Abdul-Lateef & Luetz, Johannes M. & Ng, Artie W. & Kovaleva, Marina & Safiul Azam, Fardous Mohammad & Alves,, 2022. "Deploying artificial intelligence for climate change adaptation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    4. Fabian Dembski & Uwe Wössner & Mike Letzgus & Michael Ruddat & Claudia Yamu, 2020. "Urban Digital Twins for Smart Cities and Citizens: The Case Study of Herrenberg, Germany," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-17, March.
    5. Zhen Liu & Peixuan Li & Fenghong Wang & Mohamed Osmani & Peter Demian, 2022. "Building Information Modeling (BIM) Driven Carbon Emission Reduction Research: A 14-Year Bibliometric Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-26, October.
    6. Sultan Çetin & Catherine De Wolf & Nancy Bocken, 2021. "Circular Digital Built Environment: An Emerging Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-34, June.
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