Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences has been working hard for years developing the platform with various partners.
“The launch of the Open Urban Platform is an important step towards a smart and social city. It offers many opportunities to work on societal issues with students and partners from different fields as part of our purpose-driven education. This will allow us to develop new applications in projects involving study programmes in different domains.”
- Peter van Waart, Theme Coordinator of Smart & Social City
One of the applications developed with the Open Urban Platform is the Digital Twin. This is the virtual brother of the physical city, where every building and object in the physical environment can be represented digitally. This digital version can be used to visualise and predict social issues such as public space, mobility, energy transition and real estate. As such, it offers new opportunities for students from the School of Built Environment to explore spatial development and construction. Students from the School of Social Studies and the School of Health Care Studies can also harness the potential of data to contribute to a better living environment.
One of the next digital transformations we see happening, reinforced by technologies such as XR and AI, is the emergence of the Citiverse. An environment in which, in addition to the digital and physical dimensions, the social aspect is at the centre: people. With various partners, we are exploring the impact of this transformation on the city and how this world can remain liveable, inclusive and democratic.
On the evening of the platform's launch, Heleen Elferink, Director of the School of Communication, Media and Information Technology and of the Research Centre Creating010, signed a covenant in which we underline that, as a knowledge institution, we want to remain closely involved in the further development of the platform: the development of a digital ecosystem. The ultimate goal is to help the city meet its challenges and make its inhabitants more resilient and flexible.
Are you curious about the launch of the platform? Please watch this video:
Photo: © digitaalecosysteem.nl