Citywide 3D Implementation 'Digital Twin S-Map' First Established... Seoul City to Fully Operate from the 1st

Deriving Urban Wind Paths for Use in Urban Planning, Wildfire Spread Prevention, and Reduction of Fine Dust and Heat Island Effects
Utilized in Public Building Design Competitions to Enhance Objectivity and Scientific Rigor in Decision-Making

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it has built a smart administrative innovation model called 'Digital Twin Seoul S-Map (3D Map),' which combines administrative, environmental, and other information in a virtual space to enable the resolution of various urban problems through simulation, and will officially launch it from the 1st.

Although 3D maps existed before, this is the first time in Korea that a digital twin capable of analyzing urban problems through simulation across the entire city has been established.

This year, Seoul plans to use S-Map in decision-making for seven committees, including the Urban Planning and Traffic Impact Assessment Committee, to enhance the objectivity and scientific basis of deliberations. S-Map will also be fully utilized throughout the entire process of public building design competitions starting this year. In the event of a fire, the location can be intuitively confirmed in 3D, and the spread can be predicted for response.

Urban wind path information across Seoul is derived through S-Map and used to solve various urban problems. The path, intensity, and direction of wind according to terrain, as well as the influence of geographical features, are checked in 3D space and reflected in building placement in urban planning. Based on data from the Korea Meteorological Administration, predicted wind paths are simulated to help prevent wildfire spread and reduce fine dust and heat island effects.

Citizen services through S-Map will also be strengthened. A non-face-to-face tour service will start within the year, where Pinkfong, Seoul’s promotional ambassador, explains major tourist attractions with VR videos. Additionally, 600 types of cultural heritage can be viewed in 3D, and the appearance of Hanyang in the 1900s will be recreated in 3D on old maps. S-Map will provide about 14,000 street views, including traditional markets and narrow alleys, which are not offered by private portals.

Seoul began the digital twin project in 2018 and has led the Korean version of digital twin to the current stage where urban analysis and simulation are possible. After 2022, the goal is to advance to a stage where urban control such as autonomous driving and earthquake prediction is feasible. Efforts will also be made to expand non-face-to-face cultural tourism services and open the platform for private sector use, including solving urban problems through various analytical models.

Seoul has developed sector-specific analytical models to solve urban problems such as supporting urban planning decision-making, real-time fire monitoring for fire prediction, and implementing urban wind paths, and plans to continuously develop additional analytical models going forward.

Starting in September, citizens will be able to access all services via a mobile web environment. Seoul will expand non-face-to-face citizen experience services by collaborating with the Cultural Heritage Administration, Seoul Tourism Foundation, and others that hold 3D spatial information, combining major tourist attractions and cultural heritage content. Various content, including a virtual travel project recreating the appearance of Hanyang before 1900, will be provided.

Furthermore, the platform will be opened for private sector use. A testbed environment will be established where startups and external experts can develop and promote various utilization services using S-Map data. An experimental space will also be built and provided within the year.

Lee Won-mok, Director of Smart City Policy at Seoul City, said, "The S-Map platform, which links various real-world information and enables simulation and spatial analysis, will play a pivotal role in realizing a smart city. We expect that opening S-Map-related data to the private sector will greatly contribute to the development of various value-added services and related industries."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.