Council of Cities Coordinator

Roland van der Heijden is program manager for the Digital City of Rotterdam, focusing on developing the city’s digital twin—a real-time data-driven model that integrates the physical, social, and digital realms. Fascinated by the evolution of cities, Roland explores how data transforms into valuable information to enhance urban development with transparency, privacy respect, and genuine participation. Roland is committed to creating smarter, inclusive solutions while questioning critical issues like digital ownership in an increasingly interconnected urban future.