De Angelis, Mattia (2025) Urban Digital Twins and Social Issues: Auditing Projects and Institutional Discourses across the Europe. [Tesi di dottorato]

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Abstract

This dissertation examines Urban Digital Twins (UDTs) as emerging socio-technical infrastructures in European cities, with the aim of assessing their social, political, and institutional implications. The work begins with a historical reconstruction of urban information representations,from early cartographic models to GIS and contemporary Digital Twins, showing how each technological shift redefines what becomes visible, knowable, and governable in urban space. Through an extensive literature review, the research identifies a set of critical social issues, including participation, transparency, accountability, inclusion, data governance, and the redistribution of power, that are frequently acknowledged but insufficiently operationalised in current UDT implementations. In parallel, the analysis of European-funded projects (Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, Digital Europe) demonstrates how the European Commission is progressively institutionalising UDTs as strategic tools for the twin transition, while maintaining a strong technological emphasis that often overlooks their broader societal impacts. Drawing on an integrated theoretical framework combining Science and Technology Studies (STS) and Critical Algorithm Studies (CAS), the dissertation conceptualises UDTs as performative devices that shape forms of visibility and invisibility, influencing governance practices and civic participation. A comparative study of selected Eurozone cities further highlights the gap between institutional narratives and practical implementations, revealing tensions, limitations, and opportunities connected to current UDT development trajectories. The main contribution of this work is the formulation of a socio-technical auditing approach designed to evaluate transparency, inclusiveness, and accountability in urban Digital Twins. The proposed framework provides operational domains, criteria, and indicators that can support both scholarly inquiry and urban governance, contributing to the development of Digital Twins as democratic, responsible, and socially sustainable infrastructures.

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