A Digital Twin for Bornova

As Bornova Municipality, we have begun implementing the Smart City Management and Innovation Center, a first of its kind at the district level in Türkiye. By creating Bornova’s digital twin, we are establishing a holistic management model that supports our vision of digital transformation, urban transformation, and green transformation with scientific data. We aim to manage infrastructure, environment, energy, transportation, and security processes from a single center through artificial intelligence–supported decision support systems.

Our Mayor, Ömer Eşki, shared the scope of the project with the public, stating:
“We examined global best practices in this field. With the system we have established, we will be able to foresee every step to be taken and the impact and outcomes of every investment through an AI-supported decision support system. We are building the future of municipal governance today.”

Digital Transformation: Bornova on a Single Screen

At our center, a three-dimensional digital twin of the city has been created based on a digital terrain model and digital surface model. Data across the district—ranging from park lighting and social assistance to smart irrigation networks, building energy consumption, carbon emissions, and environmental risks—will be collected on a single platform, enabling real-time monitoring and management.

To strengthen the system, which also integrates security cameras, additional cameras and sensors are being installed at various locations throughout the district. Our center will function as a decision support hub that generates forecasts for the city during normal periods, and as an effective crisis management center during emergencies.

Red–Yellow–Green Mapping in Urban Transformation

The data produced at our center also includes analyses of the earthquake risk of Bornova’s building stock. Risky buildings are marked in red, moderately risky buildings in yellow, and resilient buildings in green, creating thematic maps. This data-driven approach will serve as an important guide in planning the process toward a safe building stock.

Through the digital twin model, pre- and post-urban transformation scenarios are modeled to develop the most appropriate projects. Strengthening and/or reconstruction costs are compared using AI-supported technologies in order to reach the most suitable solutions.

Green Transformation: 75% of Energy from Solar Power

As a key component of our smart city vision, we also prioritize green transformation. Within this scope, we aim to meet 75% of the municipality’s electricity needs through solar energy within one year.

In addition, planning continues for the implementation of “wind tree” and “wind forest” projects in Bornova, as well as for the establishment of a biogas facility using our own resources. In this way, we aim to bring together “digital” and “green” transformation under the same roof and establish a sustainable urban management model.

Data-Driven Governance and Open Innovation

With this project, components such as Smart Environment, Smart Energy, Smart Transportation, and Smart Infrastructure are brought together on a single platform. Real-time decision support systems are created through Big Data, IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, and Context Broker infrastructure.

By building an innovation ecosystem in cooperation with universities, the private sector, and entrepreneurs, we aim to develop, test, and scale smart city solutions.

Smart City Management and Innovation Center

As Bornova Municipality, by establishing the Smart City Management and Innovation Center—an initiative that is a first at the district level in Türkiye—we have created Bornova’s digital twin. Our center, which brings together our digital, urban, and green transformation visions, enables us to manage infrastructure, environment, energy, transportation, and security processes from a single point using AI-supported systems.

Thanks to the three-dimensional digital twin created from Bornova’s digital terrain and surface data, the impact of every investment in the city can be analyzed in advance, allowing for data-driven decision-making.

Our center monitors and manages many systems in an integrated manner, from park lighting and smart irrigation networks to building energy consumption and social assistance processes. Supported by security cameras, sensors, and IoT infrastructure, the system functions as a decision support center during normal times and as a crisis management hub during emergencies.

In line with our green transformation approach focused on energy efficiency, it is targeted that 75% of the municipality’s electricity needs will be met through solar energy. With the innovation ecosystem we have established together with universities, the private sector, and entrepreneurs, Bornova is shaping the future with a data-driven, environmentally compatible, and innovative urban management model.