For many years, Bradford Council had aspired to create a 3D model of the city to support urban planning. Meanwhile, the University of Bradford had a similar ambition to create 3D models of over 1100 listed structures across the district. For both organisations, this was a daunting undertaking, but when they discovered that they shared the same vision of a ‘virtual’ Bradford, they realised that they could achieve their goals through collaboration.

In this highly innovative project, Bradford Council and the University of Bradford are making extensive use of Esri’s ArcGIS technology to build and expand the digital twin, and optimise its use.

The two organisations use ArcGIS Pro to plan drone flight paths and street-level data capture missions. They then use the many collaboration tools available in ArcGIS Online to share the data captured and work together effectively. For instance, council staff use ArcGIS Online to quality control the data captured by the university and refine the 3D model. When new data becomes available, it can be dropped into the collaboration space in ArcGIS Online, making it immediately available to teams across both organisations.

Known as Virtual Bradford, the digital twin currently covers the historic city centre, with additional coverage for Saltaire UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Southern Gateway. It comprises 3D visualisations of nearly 4,200 addressable properties, from homes to train stations, including 843 listed structures, and plans are in place to expand it further in subsequent project phases. All the data in Virtual Bradford is available in an open data format, so that it can be used by anyone for any application, from urban planning to online city tours and virtual reality games.

Bradford Council and the University of Bradford are using ArcGIS to leverage Virtual Bradford in a wide range of ways. The two organisations have, for instance, combined their expertise to create educational resources using the ArcGIS StoryMaps app builder in place-based research. These apps bring the heritage of Saltaire UNESCO World Heritage Site to life in 3D and help people engage with the unique industrial history of the area.

Virtual Bradford has become a central component of Bradford Council’s Digital Strategy and is now playing a fundamental role in data-driven decision-making for the future development of the district. The council has recently acquired ArcGIS Urban and plans to use solutions including ArcGIS CityEngine to support 3D district master planning, as well as transportation planning and much more besides. “The only limitation in the use of Virtual Bradford is our imagination,” says Adrian Walker, Transformational Services Manager at Bradford Council.

Effective collaboration in innovative project
ArcGIS Online provided the collaboration space and tools that Bradford Council and the University of Bradford needed to share data and work together to create the digital twin. “This project has collaboration and innovation at its core,” says Professor Andrew Wilson, Chair of Archaeological and Forensic Science at the University of Bradford. “ArcGIS has supported a wonderful two-way flow of knowledge between the university and the council and enabled the successful delivery of Virtual Bradford.”

Greater public engagement in city planning
Bradford Council can now visualise proposed new city centre regeneration plans in 3D, to show people how new buildings are situated within the historic environment. For example, plans are in progress to visualise potential designs for a new railway station and viaduct as part of a public consultation process. “Using Virtual Bradford, we can engage better with citizens and help them understand planning proposals,” says Walker.

Informed delivery of clean growth strategy
Bradford Council is using Virtual Bradford and its ArcGIS tools to help it deliver its clean growth strategy and other city regeneration projects. It has, for example, visualised outputs from air quality monitoring studies and projections using Virtual Bradford, to show the impacts of Bradford’s successful new Clean Air Zone. Virtual Bradford will similarly be used to support initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, plan biodiversity net gain schemes and predict energy consumption.

A creative, interactive record of change
By enhancing Virtual Bradford with new street-level and aerial images, at regular intervals, the project will effectively create an interactive record of changes in the city. Virtual Bradford will show where new street murals are being painted across the city to help mark the Bradford district’s year as UK City of Culture 2025. As it continues to evolve, Virtual Bradford will provide a record of how the skyline of the city changes and where historical structures have been restored and preserved.

Raised awareness of Bradford’s heritage assets
Virtual Bradford is being used by the council, the university and other stakeholders to raise awareness of the heritage of the city, enhance tourism and encourage greater civic pride. The digital twin and story maps enable people to explore much of the city online, from the historic City Hall and Wool Exchange to the original medieval street plan. “Bradford is a hidden gem!” exclaims Wilson. “There are lots of reasons to love Bradford and the Esri technology helps to convey our enthusisam and delight in our city.”