11.522: UIS Research Seminar (Fall 2007) - Discussion notes
How do novel forms of real-time data change the way we get to know, plan and actuate the city? By tapping into telecom networks, open-source web applications, and GPS and sensor-based systems, it is nowadays possible to access, interpret and visualize massive amount of data on the urban metabolism. For instance, cell phone data can reveal where people concentrate during the course of the day and how fast cars are moving on highways. The same cell phones can be used to alert people about ongoing traffic jams or upcoming events.
In the age of web 2.0, how is this emerging geo-digital wave impacting the city? What can we as researchers and practitioners do to maximize the benefits. What role should GIS play? Are our society and its institutions prepared?
This seminar is meant to be a constructive brainstorming and debate about these issues. We plan to manage it this way: after briefly presenting the main outcomes of 3 years of work at the SENSEable City Laboratory, we’ll tackle the topic from two angles: emerging social science research questions and novel technological development paths. Everything will be filtered through the powerful metaphor of the city as a real-time control system: deciphering, assessing and actuating the uncertain environment.
To facilitate the discussion, we've identified 3 online readings. They are listed below. Item (1) describes the most recent experiment in cell phone data analysis, from a technical as well as from an interpretational standpoint. Item (2) reviews Location-Based Services and how they can become a powerful tool for urban analysis. In Item (3) AnthonyTownsend (DUSP PhD in UIS) investigates the role played by mobile telephony in activity coordination and advocates for a more decentralized approach in understanding the city as a system.
Given the short time available before the seminar, we suggest you focus only on the first and last sections of the second reading and on sections #3 and #4 of the third reading.
(1) Reades, J., Calabres, F., Sevtsuk, A., Ratti, C. (2007) Cellular Census: Exploration in urban data collection. [from MIT libraries] IEEE Pervasive Computing, vol. 6, n. 3, pp. 30-38. [Abstract: http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpls/abs_all.jsp?isnumber=4287430&arnumber=4287441&count=21&index=10]
(2) Ratti, C., Pulselli, R.M., Williams, S., Frenchman, D. (2006) Mobile landscapes: using location data from cell phones for urban analysis. Environment & PlanningB: Planning & Design 33, 5:727-48.
(3) Townsend, A. (2000) Life in the Real-time City: mobile telephones and the urban metabolism. Journal of Urban Technology. (7) 2:85-104.
Back to 11.522 home page.