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  4. SUNLIGHTCITY: DIGITAL TWIN-ENABLED URBAN SOLAR EXPOSURE ANALYTICS FOR FUTURE HEALTHY CITIES

SUNLIGHTCITY: DIGITAL TWIN-ENABLED URBAN SOLAR EXPOSURE ANALYTICS FOR FUTURE HEALTHY CITIES

File(s)
Ge_cornell_0058O_12654.pdf (14.18 MB)
Permanent Link(s)
https://doi.org/10.7298/8wkt-hp93
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/126268
Collections
Cornell Theses and Dissertations
Author
Ge, Xiaoxiao
Abstract

This thesis develops SunlightCity, a digital twin-enabled urban solar exposure analytics framework for pedestrian route planning and urban comfort assessment in Manhattan. The study integrates a Unity-based 3D city model, annual solar trajectory simulation, time-indexed shadow generation, and a structured micro-environmental observation representation to quantify dynamic sunlight exposure at the road-network level. On this basis, a time-dependent multi-objective routing model is formulated to evaluate trade-offs between travel effort and cumulative solar exposure under both shade-seeking and sun-seeking preferences. A label-correcting Pareto search algorithm is implemented to generate interpretable route alternatives, and the full workflow is integrated into an operational prototype with web-based and digital twin interfaces. The Manhattan case study shows that pedestrian solar exposure varies substantially across space and time, and that environmentally informed routing can reveal meaningful trade-offs and planning-relevant corridor patterns for healthier and more climate-responsive cities.

Description
130 pages
Date Issued
2026-05
Keywords
digital twin
•
Manhattan
•
multi-objective optimization
•
pedestrian route planning
•
solar exposure
•
urban comfort
Committee Chair
Gao, Huaizhu
Committee Member
Dietrich, Brenda
Degree Discipline
Systems Engineering
Degree Name
M.S., Systems Engineering
Degree Level
Master of Science
Type
dissertation or thesis

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