Tracks, maps and urban planning

ir. Jeroen van Schaick & courtesy of dr.ir.Stefan van der Spek

j.vanschaick@tudelft.nl

www.bk.tudelft.nl/urbanismontrack

What about tracking studies

in light of urban design

and planning questions?

Visualising tracking data = creating maps

Maps = key language in urban design and planning

Sets of maps = building a design argument

Tracking data provide valuable insights

about urban quality

Are we building visual stories that are

relevant to urban design questions?

Trancik (1986) Finding Lost Space – Theories of Urban Design

Something about urban design

theory…

Something about urban planning

theory…

Patsy Healey – Spatial imaginations and urban ‘region’strategies

“uniplex metropolis” vs. “multiplex metropolis”

What do these theoretical

viewpoints share?

The plea to pay attention to multiple

viewpoints in urban design and

planning questions

..so the one map is not enough!

Ways of looking at tracking data in

sets of visualisations

1. Sets of multiple mappings of tracking data on a single scale

2. Sets of multiple mappings of tracking data on multiple scales

3. Sets of tracking maps combined with maps with ‘exogeneous’ data

…compiled as coherent visual stories??

some examples…

TYPE I : Sets of multiple mappings of tracking data

Viewpoints:

1. Switching between different

computer frames as map

creator or user

2. Showing a diversity of

patterns of space and time

use within a data set

3. Comparing data sets

Source: Andrienko et al., Visual Analytics Methods for Movement Data. In:

Giannotti, F. and Pedreschi, D. (Eds) Mobility, Data Mining and Privacy -

Geographic Knowledge Discovery. Berlin: Springer Verlag, 2008, p.377

On a single scale

TYPE II : Sets of multiple mappings of

tracking data on multiple scales

Stills from dynamic maps

All GPS-tracks dynamically

projected on a regional scale

All GPS-locations with ‘2-hour-tale’

projected on a local scale

TYPE II : Sets of multiple mappings of

tracking data on multiple scales

Selection of tracks:

only local trips

Selection of tracks:

only urban trips

Selection of tracks:

only regional trips

All tracks All tracks All tracks

TYPE III : Compiling sets of tracking maps

combined with maps with ‘exogeneous’ data

Overlay as organizing principle

of a set of maps

Interaction between urban processes as

organizing principle of a set of maps

use

buildings

public space

urban ground plan

urb

an

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structio

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image

Source: D

upuy, 2

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Source: H

arsema, 1

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A type-III-example of a design-oriented story using both GPS-

tracks and other urban analysis maps…

Extract from:

Spek, S.C. van der, 2008, Mapping Pedestrian Movement: Using Tracking Technologies in Koblenz. In:Garther, G. et al,

Location Based Services and TeleCartography II, Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography. SpringerLink, pp.

95-118

Commercial activity Points of interest Accessibility

All tracks - 2 access points Tracks – Löhr-Center Tracks – Görresplatz

Investments Koblenz ...overlay with tracks …shift in future focus?

Conclusion

Each type of set offers particular challenges, opportunities and

pitfalls to be addressed prior to data collection

Towards a qualitative research agenda on map use in tracking

studies?

> who is ‘using’ our maps? (what is ‘using’?)

> what do policy makers see when they look at our maps?

> can we increase the added value of tracking studies for

urban design and planning?

…for more info visit www.bk.tudelft.nl/urbanismontrack

and become a member of the LinkedIn group

Urbanism on Track