Data Driven Decision Making in Cities

The pervasiveness of cell phones, mobile applications and social media generates vast amounts of digital traces that can reveal a wide range of human behavior. From mobility patterns to social networks, these signals expose insights about human behaviors and social interactions. In this talk, I will discuss approaches that can help local governments and non-profit organizations understand better the spatial dynamics of cities and communities, offering additional insights beyond more traditional sources of information. The ultimate objective is to illuminate the determinants of human dynamics and to understand the role that the context - represented as physical infrastructure and social fabric - plays in people’s mobility experiences, which can ultimately assist in the design of more efficient and inclusive cities.