AI Series: 10X Cities Are Using Digital Twins to Solve Complex Challenges

This is the second episode in our limited series about artificial intelligence trends shaping life in the I-10 corridor and beyond. In this episode we chat with experts from the Ten Across cities of Phoenix, Houston and Jacksonville on the power of digital twins to more seamlessly convene stakeholders around shared goals.    

As virtual representations of actual places and systems, digital twins at their most advanced can incorporate detailed, live data feeds to model real-time conditions—and their potential. These dynamic tools can produce highly accessible visualizations of data and three-dimensional spaces to enhance users' monitoring, scenario planning, and decision making, thanks to advances in computing power and machine learning.  

Listen in as guests Devney Majerle, Satish Tripathi, and Jeffrey Carney discuss the goals behind their respective digital twin initiatives and the current capabilities of the models. Devney explains how a twin is helping Downtown Phoenix leaders and community members coalesce around a strategic development plan. Satish is in the process of developing a digital twin for Houston’s vast water system. And Jeff discusses the twins he has helped build for Jacksonville and the State of Florida to scope future-oriented resilience efforts.  

Related articles and resources:   

Listen to the first episode in our AI Series  

Explore the JaxTwin  

Read about Downtown Phoenix Inc.’s launch of their twin  

Learn about Houston’s journey to develop a digital twin of its water system  

Credits:  

Host: Duke Reiter  

Producer and editor: Taylor Griffith  

Music by: Helmut Schenker and Lennon Hutton  

Research and support provided by: Kate Carefoot, Rae Ulrich, and Sabine Butler  

About our guests:  

Jeffrey Carney is a professor in the University of Florida School of Architecture and director of the Florida Institute for Built Environment Resilience (FIBER). Jeff is also spearheading the GulfSouth Studio initiative and co-leading the JaxTwin and Florida Digital Twin initiatives to support decision making in the City of Jacksonville and State of Florida. Jeff previously served as director of the Louisiana State University Coastal Sustainability Studio and initiated the Inland from the Coast project which examined flood impacts in Baton Rouge, LA.   

Devney Majerle is president and chief executive officer of Downtown Phoenix Inc. She is formerly executive director of the Phoenix Community Alliance, vice president of activation and special events for the Arizona Organizing Committee, and senior director of marketing partnerships activation for the Phoenix Suns. Devney serves on several advisory boards for local businesses and nonprofits in the Phoenix region.  

Satish Tripathi is lead water planning engineer for the City of Houston, where he has worked for over 12 years. Prior to his work with the city, Satish was a hydropower engineer for the Government of Nepal. Satish has over 17 years of experience leading major water infrastructure planning efforts and his current work focuses on integrating digital twins, advanced water quality modeling, and artificial intelligence in optimizing utility operations.