Digital Twins and Data-Driven Planning: The New Frontier for Canadian Cities
How UrbanLogiq, Esri and WellUrban bring explainable, people-centred intelligence to municipal planning.
Introduction
Urban planning is undergoing a digital revolution. Traditional methods—paper maps, static PDFs and siloed databases—are giving way to dynamic digital twins and AI-powered analytics. In June 2025, Vancouver-based startup UrbanLogiq launched an expanded version of its artificial-intelligence platform, aiming to help governments better understand the regions they govern (betakit.com). This post examines how digital twins, GIS playbooks and WellUrban’s explainable AI layer enable smarter, more transparent planning.
Digital twins: A living model of the city
Unified virtual context. UrbanLogiq’s newly released Global Foundation Model creates a digital twin—a virtual replica of the physical world—connected to a neural network that tracks how communities interact with their environment (betakit.com). Governments can upload zoning, density, utility, traffic and transit data; the platform cleans and refines the data, uses machine learning to generate action items and presents insights in an easy-to-use dashboard (betakit.com). By integrating private-sector data from partners like WSP and Cubic Transportation Systems, UrbanLogiq extends insights beyond traditional government datasets (betakit.com).
The Ethica chatbot lets public-sector employees ask natural-language questions about permits, developments and urban plans using generative AI. It accesses private government data under strict security controls and draws on open sources such as laws, regulations, bylaws and budgets (betakit.com). Clients already include the municipalities of Ottawa, Burnaby and Kelowna (betakit.com). Scenario testing—like zoning changes—can be run in minutes, with impacts on traffic, housing and amenities visualized in the twin.
GIS playbooks for local government
Esri Canada’s GIS Playbook for Local Government Leaders (Apr 2025) provides more than 70 use cases showing how GIS addresses municipal challenges (resources.esri.ca). It’s “a good primer” to expand GIS use, integrate the geographic approach into workflows and inspire data-driven innovation (resources.esri.ca). Coverage spans public health and safety, housing, climate and infrastructure (resources.esri.ca).
Case studies include Ottawa’s use of a digital twin to improve planning and communication, Abbotsford’s GIS app to enhance service delivery for people experiencing homelessness, and rooftop solar calculators in Calgary, Toronto and Victoria that use GIS and remote-sensing data to accelerate solar adoption (resources.esri.ca). The playbook also advises leaders to consider data governance and ethics when implementing GIS—aligning with WellUrban’s privacy-by-design stance and the expectation that AI be explainable, transparent and accountable (resources.esri.ca).
Aligning with municipal priorities
MNP’s 2025 Municipal Report lists top priorities: cybersecurity and privacy (78%), citizen experience and service delivery (65%), technology modernization (63%), artificial intelligence (48%, up sharply from 2024) and smart cities & digital infrastructure (47%) (mnp.ca). Barriers still impede progress: insufficient resources (50%), complicated decision processes (44%), legacy systems (43%) and lack of subject-matter expertise (36%) (mnp.ca). This context underscores the need for accessible tools, clear playbooks and targeted training.
WellUrban’s contribution: Explainable AI and wellness analytics
Human outcomes at the core. WellUrban Insight complements digital twins and GIS by integrating environmental data with human outcomes through the Community Wellness Index (CWI). The WIL (Wellness Intelligence Layer) uses explainable AI to identify which factors—such as heat exposure, tree canopy or proximity to clinics—drive wellness scores.
From plan to impact. Planning a new transit corridor? Use UrbanLogiq’s twin to model traffic and land-use scenarios. Apply Esri’s playbook patterns to map pedestrian connections and green infrastructure (resources.esri.ca). Then run WellUrban’s WIL to assess wellness impacts—revealing whether additional shade, green buffers or active-transport routes are needed to sustain high CWI scores and reduce risk.
Plan with clarity. Build with confidence.
Combine digital twins, GIS and explainable AI to make decisions that residents can trust—and feel.
- BetaKit — UrbanLogiq expands AI platform & launches Ethica ( betakit.com )
- Esri Canada — GIS Playbook for Local Government Leaders ( resources.esri.ca )
- MNP — 2025 Municipal Report (priorities & barriers) ( mnp.ca )
