From fragmentation to integration
The advanced three-dimensional platform that allows for the precise and effective understanding, simulation, and management of the Piacenza territory. From fragmentation to integration. The project represents a strategic investment for the Municipality of Piacenza, which aims to equip itself with a true urban digital infrastructure capable of integrating all municipal databases and making them interoperable. CGR, together with AeroDron, has provided Piacenza with a future-oriented tool: a highly detailed, centimeter-accurate three-dimensional map of the city.
Project Purpose
To create a high-precision, georeferenced virtual model within an integrated and interoperable information ecosystem, designed to optimize resource management, enable predictive maintenance, and simulate complex scenarios for advanced urban planning.
Output
The fusion of aerial, UAV, and MMS survey data to create a comprehensive, accurate, and seamless 3D model.
> 12.500
Mapped Trees
19.000
Digitized Manholes
> 23.000
Cataloged Road Signs
Anatomy of the Piacenza Digital Twin
The Piacenza Digital Twin is a ultra-high-precision georeferenced urban model. By integrating LiDAR data, zenithal aerial imagery, and high-resolution street-level surveys, the platform delivers a centimeter-accurate 3D reconstruction of the territory. This three-dimensional ecosystem is not merely a visual representation, but a dynamic reference dataset: the ideal foundation for predictive analysis through Artificial Intelligence, strategic urban planning, and smart management of city assets.
Data Acquisition: MMS and Aerial Surveys
The technological core of the project lies in the fusion of geospatial data from complementary sources, enabling the creation of photorealistic LiDAR point clouds and 360° spherical imagery completely free of blind spots. The surveys were executed by combining:
- UAS Technology (Drones) and Aircraft Flights: For top-down zenithal and oblique-zenithal mapping.
- MMS Technology (Mobile Mapping System): Terrestrial surveys for street-level detail.
All flight and ground operations were conducted under optimal weather and lighting conditions (absence of rain, fog, or long shadows from low-angle sunlight) to guarantee maximum visual clarity and metric accuracy of the data.
Extraction, Classification, and Consultation
Raw data was transformed into structured information through a rigorous pipeline that combines the efficiency of Machine Learning algorithms with the accuracy of human supervision.
Thanks to semantic classification, every element of the urban space is recognized, cataloged, and isolated into independent vector layers. This enables the mapping of critical assets with millimeter precision, including:
- Mobility and Safety: Traffic lights, signal heads, gantry structures, and road signs (both vertical and horizontal markings).
- Urban Furniture and Services: Streetlamps and public lighting poles, benches, waste bins, and public transit shelters.
- Infrastructure and Utilities: Service boxes, technical cabinets, and roadside equipment.
- Road Maintenance: Monitoring of pavement damage, potholes, and surface deterioration.
- Public Green Spaces and House Numbers: Trees, trunks, green areas, and house number mapping.
To enable interactive data visualization and advanced analytics extraction, an intuitive and centralized Cloud environment was created, designed to accommodate the complex information assets available to technicians and policymakers.
GIS Integration and Single Point of Data Access
The added value of the Piacenza Digital Twin project lies in its ability to create a single, comprehensive interactive map where all municipal data has a precise geographical location, allowing for immediate consultation and automatic updates.
The resulting Digital Twin is fully interoperable within AeroDron’s (CGR) web-GIS platforms (viewable and accessible from any device) and exportable in standard formats to other GIS systems. This fosters smooth consultation for technicians and decision-makers, cross-departmental sharing (urban planning, public works, security), and seamless integration into open data portals and municipal geoportals.
In the Digital Twin project for the Municipality of Piacenza, data acquisition and the creation of the web-GIS platform went hand in hand with a key activity: training municipal staff.
We believe that a Digital Twin is truly effective only when it transforms into a daily operational tool, capable of guiding analysis, planning, and strategic decisions in an informed manner. This collaboration has not only provided the city of Piacenza with high-value-added data, but has also stimulated a strong cross-functional synergy among different municipal offices, united in a shared journey toward building the smart city of the future.
A New Infrastructure for the City: From Asset Mapping to Administrative Management
In parallel with the asset inventory, the Digital Twin infrastructure enables the extraction of accurate, timely, and certified administrative information. This transforms how various municipal offices plan and execute their daily activities, allowing them to work completely via remote access:
Driveway Verifications
Rapid dimensional checks that accelerate the processing of building permits and local tax assessments.
Urban and Altimetric Controls
Scientific measurement of facade heights and building volumes, eliminating fieldwork evaluation errors and ensuring full compliance of urban developments.
Automated Road Bill of Quantities
Exact calculation of asphalt volumes (for milling or paving) and immediate generation of altimetric cross-sections from 3D models, significantly reducing construction site costs.
New Project Simulation
3D rendering of public works and temporary installations integrated directly into the virtual model. This generates visual content for public communication and technical documentation for calls for tenders.
Safe Building Inspections
Verification of the condition of historical roofs and facades using 5K aerial surveys. This eliminates the cost of scaffolding and aerial platforms, reducing high-altitude work risks for technicians to zero.
Smart Management of Green Spaces
3D monitoring of the urban tree heritage to optimize pruning schedules, assess plant stability, and improve the care of city parklands.
Piacenza Digital Twin Launch Conference
On Thursday, May 14, 2026, the official public presentation of the Piacenza Digital Twin project took place at the Sant’Ilario Auditorium in Piacenza. The event opened with remarks by Mayor Katia Tarasconi, City Councilor for Digital Transformation Simone Fornasari, and General Manager Luca Canessa, who introduced this innovative tool to the audience. During the meeting, we took the stage to illustrate in detail the technical features, the operational potential of the platform, and the survey data collected from September to May 2026.
Piacenza Digital Twin Video Presentation
