PRESS RELEASE: Launch of Transformative Open book on Local Digital Twins for Better Decision-Making

Decide Better Book Available Now

Brussels, 13 March 2025. The Open & Agile Smart Cities & Communities (OASC) network, together with Digital Flanders, is proud to launch Decide Better: Open and Interoperable Local Digital Twins (LDTs). This pioneering open-access book brings insights from various EU research and innovation projects developed in collaboration with a broad network of partners, including the Digital Flanders led award-winning Digital Urban European Twins (DUET) project consortium.

"This inspiring book showcases Europe’s leadership in digital innovation, highlighting how cities and regions are pioneering the use of Local Digital Twins to address complex urban and regional challenges," said Lieven Raes, Advisor at Digital Flanders and chief editor of Decide Better. "By blending real-world insights with practical frameworks, we aim to encourage and support others in adopting open, ethical and scalable strategies for urban transformation."

Decide Better explores the transformative potential of Local Digital Twins (LDTs) - dynamic digital models of cities and regions that use real-time data and simulations to support evidence-based decision-making. Combining insights from urban planning, ICT, legal and ethical frameworks, as well as policymaking, the book offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary perspective on LDT creation and use. Through real-world case studies from leading European cities and regions, it demonstrates how LDTs are tackling challenges such as climate change, infrastructure management, and citizen engagement.

Readers will find practical guidance on creating interoperable LDT architectures, building governance frameworks, and scaling solutions to promote sustainable, citizen-centric urban development.

Editors Lieven Raes, Susie Ruston McAleer, Ingrid Croket, Pavel Kogut, Martin Brynskov, and Stefan Lefever bring a wealth of expertise from diverse policy, academic, and delivery backgrounds, offering both practical and scientific perspectives. Their leadership, alongside chapters written by expert authors from multidisciplinary fields, ensures that the book seamlessly bridges theory and practice. This collaborative approach makes Decide Better an indispensable resource for urban and regional professionals, researchers, and anyone involved in shaping the future of cities.

Decide Better is freely available now as an open-access resource on Springer’s website.

https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-81451-8

END

Notes to Editor:

• About Digital Flanders:

  https://www.vlaanderen.be/digitaal-vlaanderen

  https://www.vlaanderen.be/en/authorities/flemish-resilience/transforming-flanders-digitally

  
  

• About OASC  (Open Agile Smart Cities)

  https://oascities.org/

  
  

• Springer Website (publication page)https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-81451-8

  
  

• About DUET award-winning project

  https://www.digitalurbantwins.com/post/duet-local-digital-twin-named-best-enabling-technology-at-world-smart-city-awards

Media Contact:

Digital Flanders: 

Lieven Raes (lieven.raes@vlaanderen.be)  

Katleen Deraymaeker  (katleen.deraymaeker@vlaanderen.be)

OASC: 

Viriginie Verstraete (virginie@oascities.org)