Digital twins and AI for healthy and sustainable cities

The paper discusses the relevance of the latest advances in data science and artificial intelligence for urban systems research. It has a particular focus on the importance of recent innovations in the context of ‘wicked’ urban problems which continue to confront decision-makers within practical policy settings. It is argued that the latest advances in AI such as large language models offer the potential for transformative research, but only if properly specified within the unique and distinctive context of geographical space. The idea of a digital twin requires careful articulation to support the management of expectations and appropriate alignment within a social setting. At the end of the day, AI is not a panacea for the problems of cities, nor is it a substitute for imaginative policy design or interventions through consensus and good government. However in a world which is characterised by vast riches of data alongside enormous complexity of process, the investment in new tools and methods is a social and intellectual imperative in driving human understanding to new levels.