The innovative project for integrated urban mapping of the above- and below-ground areas, which is leading Genoa towards an urban Digital Twin, will be presented at an event on November 19th from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. This project, promoted by the City of Genoa with the technical support of START 4.0, is leading Genoa towards an urban Digital Twin.
Genoa is taking a decisive step towards building its own Digital Twin, an integrated urban model capable of providing real-time information on the state and evolution of the territory, thanks to the combined digitalization of the city’s above- and below-ground areas.
During the event “Visions from Above and Below,” hosted on November 19th at the Genova Blue District, the experimental project promoted by the City of Genoa and implemented with the technical support of START 4.0 and the Hexagon Group was presented. This is a first at the national level, involving strategic areas of the city’s historic center and several key infrastructures in the implementation of high-precision surveys and the creation of a shared digital environment.
Advanced surveys, integrated data, a safer territory
The project involved the use of the latest reality capture and ground-penetrating radar technologies—among them These include laser scanners, LiDAR, Leica Geosystems’ TRK mobile mapping, and IDS Georadar’s Stream DP and Stream UP systems—capable of generating ultra-high-resolution three-dimensional models and providing a complete, navigable view of what lies above and below the city’s surface.
The areas surveyed include:
- Vico del Ferro and Piazza Banchi, with the unprecedented survey of the underground development of the Rio Sant’Anna, never before mapped at this level of detail;
- Piazza Corvetto, the subject of integrated surveys and BIM modeling to simulate extreme scenarios such as flooding and hydrogeological criticalities;
- Via delle Tofane, where a complex survey was conducted to digitize the dense network of underground utilities.
A platform to “bring data to life”
The collected data will flow into the Hexagon Smart Sites (HSS) platform, provided and configured by START4.0. The goal is to integrate them into a single digital environment—interoperable with the municipal Geoportal — surveys, 3D models, thematic maps, and IoT sensor data. A system capable of:
- enabling predictive simulations and decision-making scenarios,
- improving urban planning,
- optimizing public interventions and maintenance,
- managing risks and critical issues in real time.
Innovation at the service of cities and businesses
With this project, START 4.0 confirms its strategic role in supporting the safe and sustainable digitalization of the territory. This initiative also creates value for businesses, providing data and digital models useful for planning, maintenance, infrastructure, and intelligent services.
“Genoa has a unique and complex subsoil. Connecting these worlds, digitizing them, and making them readable is a fundamental step towards governing the city in a conscious and innovative way.”
(from the City of Genoa)
The project represents an open laboratory for urban innovation: a concrete foundation for the Urban Digital Twin that can be replicated and scaled, enabling new applications in the areas of mobility, the environment, safety, and infrastructure efficiency. To participate, register here.