Cities nowadays need to have long-term visions and perspectives to achieve the ambitious targets for which vast investments are being made. They need to act with competence and capability-based planning, and to come up with suitable solutions. Technology is unquestionably a factor of crucial importance when aiming for these targets. Digital innovation, based on data knowledge, analysis and projection, is crucial to tackle the most demanding challenges of our times. The methodological approach proposed here is an Urban Digital Twin applied to cities as a predictive model to obtain a projection of their development in terms of sustainability.

The research addresses the difficulty of integrating ecosystem assessment into urban planning to respond to territorial vulnerabilities (Caldarice and Salata, 2019). Tech4You’s Pilot Project 4.6.1, on Reggio Calabria (Italy), develops a multidisciplinary approach that combines ecosystem assessment, digital twin and artificial intelligence for the creation of Climate Adaptation Plans (PACC). The critical testing of the “InVEST” model for calculating the “Carbon Storage and Sequestration” ecosystem service highlighted the limitations of current evaluation tools and the need for a more advanced platform. Hence, the P.P. 4.6.1 is developing a Platform that integrates predictive models and a Climate Intelligence Chamber in the prototype phase.