Digital twin for supporting decision-making and stakeholder collaboration in urban decarbonization processes. A participatory development in Gothenburg

City Digital Twins have emerged as pivotal tools for representing and modelling urban systems. While existing literature emphasizes technological and framework development, limited attention has been given to the practical usability of digital twins in urban planning and decision-making processes. This paper addresses this gap by presenting a participatory approach for a city digital twin (CDTE) development, specifically tailored for supporting stakeholder communication and decision-making in the urban energy transition domain. The study, conducted in three phases, utilizes participatory methods, involving local stakeholders in the development process. The focus is on the Swedish city of Gothenburg, which is actively pursuing climate-neutral goals by 2030. The research integrates quantitative energy modelling and the creation of a web-based interface for the CDTE. The scenarios, grounded in local needs and challenges, explore the impacts of urban development models, climate warming and renovation measures on the building stock. The CDTE, developed and tested through workshops with diverse stakeholders, proves to be effective for the visualization and the discussion of various decarbonization scenarios. Key findings from users’ assessments underscore the significance of clarity and readability in scenario content and user interface for fostering interactions among different administrative spheres. This research contributes to the broader discourse on leveraging City Digital Twins for informed decision-making in urban contexts, providing insights into the practical application of digital twins in addressing the complex challenges of urban energy transition.