Introduction:
NXTFM leverages advanced digital twin technology to foster a dynamic participatory urban planning platform, enabling Frankfurt's residents to directly engage in shaping their city's development in real time.
Objective:
The platform seeks to democratize urban planning, reduce environmental impacts, and enhance community collaboration through co-creation and coalition-building, guided by Ezio Manzini’s principles of social innovation.
Our approach to urban development embraces Ezio Manzini's framework, which advocates for blending expert and community-driven design to tackle complex societal challenges. This model fosters collaborative innovation by integrating specialized knowledge with grassroots activism, enhancing the inclusivity and sustainability of our urban solutions.
My Role and Responsibilities
My Position: As a Consultant, I spearheaded the development of user stories, conducted extensive research on social innovation, and provided strategic guidance on digitalization processes. My work also included hands-on technical experimentation with Unreal Engine to craft immersive prototypes.
Tasks Performed:
User Stories: Developed comprehensive user stories to guide the platform's design and functionality, ensuring they aligned with real community needs and expectations.
Research and Strategic Consultancy: Conducted benchmarking studies on existing digital twins to identify best practices in social innovation and democracy, shaping the strategic direction of the platform.
Prototyping: Utilized Unreal Engine to develop and test realistic urban planning simulations, enhancing the platform’s interactive and visual capabilities.
Methodology: Utilized a consultative approach to engage with Green City Frankfurt representatives, demonstrating the benefits of digital twins in urban management and planning through detailed scenarios and potential outcomes.
Challenges: The project's complexity and the innovative use of technology posed challenges in clearly communicating the potential impacts and practical implementations to all stakeholders.
Technologies and Tools Used
Digital Twin Technology: For realistic simulation and visualization of urban development scenarios.
Stakeholder Collaboration Platforms: Used to gather input and feedback from diverse community segments.
Results: Although initially a proposal, NXTFM served as a vital conversation starter among Frankfurt’s urban development stakeholders, illustrating the practical and strategic uses of digital twins in city planning.
Impact: The project highlighted the transformative potential of digital twin technology in making urban planning more adaptive, transparent, and inclusive.
