Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

acceptedVersion

Publication Date

1-2026

Abstract

How can bidirectional information exchange be enhanced in urban digital twins, and support human-centric data and processes? Their key characteristic is the nearly real-time exchange of information, allowing adjustments to physical environments based on simulations and analytics within virtual models. Yet, achieving such interaction remains challenging, particularly regarding device deployment and infrastructure development. Embracing the concept of humans as sensors, this work develops a two-way framework based on the emerging concept of just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs), exploring how urban digital twins can play a role in understanding and enhancing human comfort outdoors. Human comfort outdoors is inherently spatio-temporal and personalised, influenced by multisensory perception. The JITAIs framework involves collecting human comfort data and delivering interventions tailored to contextual and personal conditions. Thus, bidirectional information exchange will be established between humans and urban environments, thereby closing the loop in urban digital twins. A three-week campus experiment with 14 participants demonstrates this framework in two phases: (1) collecting comfort perception data and (2) delivering tailored interventions based on comfort perception and contextual features. End-of-day surveys reveal that 18.4% of responses indicated no behaviour change influenced by JITAIs, while 53.1% acknowledged their role in improving the understanding of outdoor comfort. The JITAIs framework is still nascent, but demonstrates an instance to close information loop in urban digital twins, as well as paves the way for future research. This novel work will facilitate human-centric urban digital twins and their multidisciplinary applications, such as planning comfortable walking routes.

Keywords

Urban technology, Human–environment interaction, Urban sensing, Spatial awareness, Behavioural adaptation

Discipline

Environmental Sciences | Human Geography | Urban Studies and Planning

Research Areas

Integrative Research Areas

Publication

Cities

Volume

168

First Page

1

Last Page

18

ISSN

0264-2751

Identifier

10.1016/j.cities.2025.106443

Publisher

Elsevier

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2025.106443

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