The municipality of Alkmaar has been working on a digital replica of the city since 2018. Since 2025, Clappform has been part of the scrum team helping to build the future of this Digital Twin as part of the Network of Local Digital Twins (NLDT). What started as a simple 3D map has evolved into a platform where data, technology, and participation converge.
All information linked to a location is brought together on a single interactive map, from city level down to street level. The platform operates with three layers of information, thereby serving multiple target groups: basic statistics for the general public, scenarios for the council and policymakers, and expert analyses for specialists.
Basic registers and municipal sources
3D city model and geodata layers
Quality of life models from Dutch government
Satellite image analysis for parking pressure
Hydrological model results for water storage
Noise measurements from municipal and citizen-operated sensors
Traffic and mobility data from external sources
Data for the planning of district heating networks
Key figures on residents, jobs and safety
The challenge
In urban area transformations, housing, transport, energy, green spaces and water come together in the same location, whilst issues such as grid congestion, climate adaptation and affordability are putting pressure on the spatial domain. The necessary data is usually available, but is scattered across departments, reports and organisations. As a result, decisions are made too late and lack sufficient coherence, based on static documents rather than cost-analysed alternatives.
Our solution
The Digital Twin is structured as a data platform featuring a 3D viewer: a geo-tool in which data layers can be turned on and off and combined; a data platform that brings together static sources and model outputs; and a calculation and scenario layer that runs simulations of different variants and visualises the results immediately.
A key feature is the integration of the central government’s quality of life models with the physical data layers – the quality of life module to which Clappform has contributed. This enables the social domain to be modelled in the same way as the physical domain. Thanks to open standards such as OGC and Common Ground, components and data layers remain reusable for other local authorities and regions.
Within the Digital Twin, the local authority can, amongst other things:
run simulations and visualise scenarios, such as floodwater storage during heavy rainfall;
monitor parking pressure using satellite imagery;
plan district heating networks based on up-to-date data from various sources;
predict and simulate the impact of policy decisions on quality of life;
carry out street-level analyses, for example of noise peaks;
incorporate data from residents and partners, such as measurements from citizen sensors.
This creates a shared understanding of the facts, allows decisions to be made earlier in the process and fosters a sense of ownership among residents. In Alkmaar, a citizen-led measurement of noise pollution led directly to a business owner making adjustments, without the intervention of the local authority. A digital twin is therefore not an end in itself, but a means of tackling complex challenges in an integrated and participatory manner.
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How we assist municipalities with their data challenges
Within a municipality, various themes are at play: from housing and livability to sustainability, safety, and the social domain. These domains directly pertain to area development and require up-to-date, reliable data.
Whether it involves resource allocation, prioritizing policy interventions, or monitoring neighborhood developments, real-time insights help municipalities steer sharply, make well-founded decisions, and respond flexibly to change.
Client case
Success stories
