Research in urban planning: Fraunhofer IGD welcomes guests from partner cities to a presentation during Europe Weekend

(Darmstadt) As part of the annual Europe Weekend, the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD welcomed the Lord Mayor of the City of Science Darmstadt, Hanno Benz, as well as representatives from Darmstadt’s partner cities, to an informational event focused on urban planning and digital research. In an illustrative presentation, Dr. Eva Klien, Head of the Geoinformation Management Department, demonstrated how new technologies can make cities fit for the future and strengthen citizen participation. She explains: “Our research—especially the development of digital twins of cities—can be quickly transferred to other municipalities when the appropriate data basis is available.

The exchange with partner cities provides a valuable opportunity to learn from one another—regardless of size or structure. Every city brings its own potential. When we connect the right stakeholders and incorporate different perspectives, it greatly helps us to further develop our solutions in a practical way.”

“With the Fraunhofer Institute for Computer Graphics Research IGD, the City of Science Darmstadt is home to a world-leading research institution in the field of digital image processing,” explains Lord Mayor Hanno Benz. “We are therefore very pleased that, as part of Europe Weekend, the institute is giving us and our guests from partner cities the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of digital urban planning and gain an impression of how innovative solutions are developed here that make urban planning smarter, safer, and more sustainable—thus helping to translate technological progress into practice.”

Digital twins in urban planning: tested and ready for use

At the event, Fraunhofer IGD presented current research projects focused on so-called urban digital twins. These are digital representations of cities that serve as tools for urban planning, citizen participation, and communication. Such digital city models help to visualize developments clearly and make decisions more transparent.

Three concrete application examples illustrated how these digital twins can already be used today:

1. Smarticipate – shaping urban planning together

With the web-based system Smarticipate, citizens can actively participate in urban planning. The system is based on a detailed 3D model of the city of Darmstadt. Users can insert their own ideas—such as new green spaces, bike paths, or buildings—directly into the digital cityscape, discuss them with others, and evaluate them collaboratively. This creates a new form of participation that is transparent, accessible, and interactive.

2. Voxel worlds – experiencing urban development in a playful way

Another project presents a simplified, playful version of Darmstadt’s city model, reminiscent of the design of computer games such as Minecraft. This so-called voxel world reduces the complex urban structure to cube-shaped elements, providing an intuitive introduction to topics such as urban development and spatial planning.

3. Virtual reality – experiencing plans realistically

In a third project, Fraunhofer IGD demonstrated how realistic 3D city models are visualized using the Unreal Engine, a software platform for interactive 3D graphics. Combined with virtual reality technology, which makes virtual environments spatially tangible, users can freely move through a digital representation of the city—an effective tool for planning discussions and early public participation.

Behind the scenes: fiber-optic expansion at Telekom with Fibre3D

An additional highlight of the presentation was the Fibre3D system, which digitally supports Telekom’s planned fiber-optic expansion. Data from laser scans and 360-degree images are used to virtually prepare technical measures, such as the installation of new lines. This not only simplifies planning and approval processes but can also replace time-consuming on-site inspections. Citizens benefit from a faster and more efficient expansion of digital infrastructure.

Shaping cities together

As part of Europe Weekend, the event provided insights into current digital approaches to urban planning and fostered professional exchange across municipal and national boundaries.