Digital Twins in Latam with ArcGIS Urban

This StoryMap compile some of the geodesign experiences developed by Esri Venezuela and its GDS Latam consultant group in recent years, in collaboration with other distributors and academic institutions of our countries. We pretend that this page will be a living index of works and models, linking to other specific StoryMaps as a way to help comparisons of experiences, under the challenge of optimice the complex urban and regional planning of Latin America cities.

So, these demo digital twins referred here, have been developed as a research way to approach a sustainable planning and management resource for the emerging Smart Cities initiatives in Latin America

These models were prepared with ArcGIS Urban, supported by ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS CityEngine and all the family of Esri solutions.

This digital twin was created ending 2019 as a demo of the ArcGIS Urban capacities in Chacao, one of the municipalities that conform the Metropolitan Area of Caracas, in Venezuela. This model helps to explore the design possibilities of Blandín Special Plan and the Urban Plan of Chacao. It was presented in our Venezuelan User Conference in 2019.

More information is available through the specific StoryMap:

By requirement of our friends of Esri Colombia in September 2019, we collaborate with them developing the urban model of some localities in the center of Bogotá, particularly in the Tinaquillo area. There, we illustrate the capabilities of Urban to analyze urban tissue characteristics, incorporating ArcGIS CityEngine scene layers. Also, we evaluate some development scenarios for the new Ecopetrol Corporate Center, including the metrics incorporated in Urban release 1. Many of the main architectural buildings projects of this area, were incorporated as Urban projects with their respective 3D referencial model.

More information is available through the specific StoryMap:

In 2018, we began some experiences with our friends of Telemática Perú, to illustrate the concept of Geodesign through some of the resources offered by Esri. For that, we developed some examples, beginning with the consolidated area on Miraflores, Lima, and some geodesign exercises in other populated areas of the capital city. We expose that contents in a Webinar about Geodesign, organized by them.

Beside that webinar, due high interest about Geodesign, we planned to prepare some material for a training in Peru, So, in addition to central areas of the capital city, we explored some development scenarios of an urban sprawl at south Lima according current Metropolitan Plan, considering a new densification proposal. For that, we took a new proposed partial plan in Lurin neighborhood and prepared some exercises, in this case, with ArcGIS CityEngine.

Taking advantage of the capabilities of ArcGIS CityEngine, we developed scenarios with two ranges of densification, illustrated graphically and with different construction metrics. Also, prepared some exercises with ArcGIS Pro that we presented in our Venezuela User Conference 2018.

In that research, we explored some other examples as the central area of Arequipa, to show hay easy is to start working with ArcGIS CityEngine if work flow is adopted clearly.

From these experiences, we planned to develop a geodesign workshop there in Lima, including water planning and management as water wells exploration and risk analysis by the stational floodings called "guaicos". Telemática Perú and us area hoping for better conditions after current international health pandemic, to take it back that joint-venture.

In our Venezuela Esri User Conference 2018, also we presented this example of digital twin creation in the central área of Cochabamba, in Bolivia. For that kind of work, it's a good idea use open resources avaliable through Internet, as open Street Maps and 3D models.

More information about this geodesign discussion is available through the specific StoryMap indicated below:

By invitation of UNIGIS, very known academic institution about geographic technologies, we prepared the Digital Twin of Belgrano town, to be presented in FOROMUNDO 2020 through a conference supported by Belgrano University and Aeroterra (Argentina and Uruguay Esri distributor). Our discussion approached the use of zoning under new digital twins approach on the smart cities. Buenos Aires is a very attractive city, and their urban authorities must manage complex decision making processes, and we considered that ArcGIS Urban is a excellent platform to help them in those processes.

More information about this model is available through the specific StoryMap:

Attending other invitation from Gabriela Mistral University, we prepared this early digital twin of the central area of Santiago. We included this kind of resources as one of the complementary pieces to promote our Latin American cities as real smart cities. Indeed, our conference showed the data integration from remote sensors, Lidar and drone captures, GeoBIM and some of the new Esri tools to improve the operational efficiency and the citizen commitment for real inclusive and prosper cities.

In this moment, we are working to discover a set of environmental indicators adjusted to the Chilean reality, to apply them in the Use Type and Land Use Type tables, to obtain scenarios adapted to the current parameters of the new buildings also to propose new thresholds to qualify high sustainability grade for international certified buildings.

More information is available through the specific StoryMap:

As a recent academic exercise, we modelled this non built city from sketches and plans defined in the '70. The new Guasare city was urban developed designed with support of early Esri tools, and it was part of one of the first projects of Esri outside USA. This digital twin of a utopical town was presented in our Venezuela Esri User Conference 2018.

Much more information about this interesting experience, is available through the specific StoryMap below:

As birth city of our company, we have developed a lot of proposals in Maracaibo. AT Sistemas, one of the owners of Esri Venezuela, is a design office with many projects along almost five decades on the national market. Also, we have a very valuable staff of architects and engineers that combines their professional experience with their academic professor careers at the University of Zulia and its Faculty of Architecture Research Institute.

In that sense, Esri Venezuela has maintained close relationship with that university, beginning joint projects in research and planning. Both organizations have shared many urban data, in order to obtain better and more sustainable solutions for this city.

At the same time, Esri Venezuela has been close partners of local government, not just in Maracaibo also with other cities in the region, collaborating with cadastre systems and urban planning proposals.

Due this relationships, we have created progressive data layers for the city, that can be watched in successive conferences and demos; one of them, is the 3D model that head this StoryMap. New data layers and vews have been developed by years, as anybody can appreciate in the Esri Venezuela YouTube Channel.

Many more information about the Maracaibo digital twin is available through the specific StoryMap below:

AcademiaGIS.com compile the educational proposal of Esri Venezuela. We offer traditional presential and online training, through our offices in Caracas and Maracaibo, and through a very active website. In that sense, we have facilitate workshops and conferences about geodesign and ArcGIS Urban.

Besides to webinars and conferences, we have trained to many professionals through a 24 hours led-training course. Indeed, we have attend some professionals of Esri Colombia team, also any urban planners, cadastral engineers and other professionals and students to involve them in this emerging technology.

More information about training is available through the specific StoryMap:

Prepared by  RICARDO CUBEROS MEJÍA  for GDS Latam Group and Esri Venezuela - 2021