Environmental Digital Twin: Case Study
Environmental Digital Twin
CASE STUDY
Glasgow’s Environmental Digital Twin: A New Perspective on Urban Planning
In recent years, Glasgow City Council has been developing a digital tool that is beginning to reshape how the city understands and manages its environment. Known as the Environmental Digital Twin, this platform brings together a wide range of spatial data into a single, interactive model of the city, designed to support better decision-making.
Officers in the Corporate Data Team consulted teams involved in environmental and woodland strategy, with the aim being to build a tool that could reflect the city’s environmental landscape in a way that was both accurate and accessible. With many teams across the council utilising Geographic information system (GIS) datasets, a large quantity of data was sourced from a variety of departments and external partners to build the initial database.
Glasgow’s Environmental Digital Twin: A New Perspective on Urban Planning
In recent years, Glasgow City Council has been developing a digital tool that is beginning to reshape how the city understands and manages its environment. Known as the Environmental Digital Twin, this platform brings together a wide range of spatial data into a single, interactive model of the city, designed to support better decision-making.
Officers in the Corporate Data Team consulted teams involved in environmental and woodland strategy, with the aim being to build a tool that could reflect the city’s environmental landscape in a way that was both accurate and accessible. With many teams across the council utilising Geographic information system (GIS) datasets, a large quantity of data was sourced from a variety of departments and external partners to build the initial database.
At its core, the Digital Twin is a tool for planning and environmental management. It includes detailed information on Glasgow’s urban forest, helping the council monitor tree health and plan new plantings. It also maps canopy coverage, which is increasingly important in the context of climate resilience. Other layers include data on vacant and derelict land, supporting regeneration efforts, and planning information that helps guide development in a coordinated manner.
What sets the Digital Twin apart is its ability to present this information in both two and three dimensions. The 2D version offers a traditional map-based interface, useful for quick analysis and integration with existing systems. The 3D model, allows users to explore the city in greater detail, measuring distances and heights, analysing shadows, and even simulating weather conditions. This added functionality has proven especially valuable in engaging stakeholders and the public, offering a more intuitive way to understand complex spatial data.
"Glasgow’s Environmental Digital Twin is transforming spatial planning by providing an integrated, interactive mapping tool that brings together a wide array of environmental and planning data layers - from air quality and noise to energy infrastructure, habitats, and community facilities. Freely accessible to both professionals and the public, it empowers users to explore specific sites, parks, or communities, visualising how these areas might evolve over time.
By enabling users to “ask the map,” it supports the creation of dynamic dashboards that highlight opportunities for change, fostering more informed decision-making and collaborative planning across internal teams and external stakeholders."
Gillian Dick - Spatial Planning Manager, Glasgow City Council
The system is designed to evolve, and ongoing data maintenance ensures that the model remains current, reflecting changes in the city’s landscape over time. This makes it a living resource - one that can adapt as new challenges and opportunities emerge.
While still in its early stages, the Environmental Digital Twin is already proving its value. It’s not a flashy piece of technology, but a practical one - built with care, shaped by collaboration, and grounded in the everyday work of managing a complex urban environment. For Glasgow, it represents continued progress in sustainable, informed, evidence-based decision-making.
At its core, the Digital Twin is a tool for planning and environmental management. It includes detailed information on Glasgow’s urban forest, helping the council monitor tree health and plan new plantings. It also maps canopy coverage, which is increasingly important in the context of climate resilience. Other layers include data on vacant and derelict land, supporting regeneration efforts, and planning information that helps guide development in a coordinated manner.
What sets the Digital Twin apart is its ability to present this information in both two and three dimensions. The 2D version offers a traditional map-based interface, useful for quick analysis and integration with existing systems. The 3D model, allows users to explore the city in greater detail, measuring distances and heights, analysing shadows, and even simulating weather conditions. This added functionality has proven especially valuable in engaging stakeholders and the public, offering a more intuitive way to understand complex spatial data.
The system is designed to evolve, and ongoing data maintenance ensures that the model remains current, reflecting changes in the city’s landscape over time. This makes it a living resource - one that can adapt as new challenges and opportunities emerge.
While still in its early stages, the Environmental Digital Twin is already proving its value. It’s not a flashy piece of technology, but a practical one - built with care, shaped by collaboration, and grounded in the everyday work of managing a complex urban environment. For Glasgow, it represents continued progress in sustainable, informed, evidence-based decision-making.
"Glasgow’s Environmental Digital Twin is transforming spatial planning by providing an integrated, interactive mapping tool that brings together a wide array of environmental and planning data layers - from air quality and noise to energy infrastructure, habitats, and community facilities. Freely accessible to both professionals and the public, it empowers users to explore specific sites, parks, or communities, visualising how these areas might evolve over time.
By enabling users to “ask the map,” it supports the creation of dynamic dashboards that highlight opportunities for change, fostering more informed decision-making and collaborative planning across internal teams and external stakeholders."
Gillian Dick - Spatial Planning Manager, Glasgow City Council