Shonan Future Verse is Japan’s pioneering smart city platform. NTT East leads the project in collaboration with UTA members Keio University and Kadinche. Japan’s NICT funds the initiative. The platform uses Beyond 5G and digital twin technologies. It applies a backcasting method to urban planning. This means planners start with an ideal future city vision and work backward to achieve it. For more updates on smart city innovation, see our news section.
The Smart City Expo World Congress 2024 in Barcelona showcased Shonan Future Verse. The presentation attracted significant interest. It demonstrated the platform’s participatory urban planning approach. Municipalities, businesses, and residents co-create future city visions in a digital twin environment. This inclusive approach ensures urban transformations reflect real community needs. The platform uses AI, high-resolution simulations, and Beyond 5G networks. Together, these tools support real-time decision-making and long-term planning.
Real-world tests are underway in Fujisawa, Samukawa, and Yokosuka. These cities are in Japan’s Kanagawa Prefecture. The trials focus on disaster prevention and traffic simulation. Fujisawa City Trial I simulates pedestrian flows in VR/MR city maps. Fujisawa City Trial II models traffic during floods and earthquakes. Inundation maps combine with real mobility data for precise simulations. The results help planners prepare cities for climate-related events. Furthermore, they refine the platform’s capabilities in real urban settings.
The project aims to build an intuitive digital twin interface for all stakeholders. Users create and share future city visions easily. Backcasting then identifies the policies needed to realise those visions. A continuous feedback loop keeps the digital twin evolving with the real city. Consequently, cities gain a powerful tool for long-term resilience planning. Japan’s approach to participatory urban planning offers a model for cities worldwide. Learn more about the project at NICT Japan.