Showing papers in "Journal of Urban Technology in 2014"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors take the first steps towards understanding technology-enabled participatory platforms by examining the 25 most populated cities in the United States and deduce four main archetypes (citizen centric and citizen data, citizen centric, government data, and government centric developed solutions) of participatory platform.
Abstract: Technology-enabled participatory platforms are proving to be valuable canvases for engaging citizens in solving public-good challenges. Citizens are playing a more active role by either designing platforms themselves or participating on platforms created by public agencies. Unfortunately, our theoretical knowledge about the nature of these platforms is limited. In this paper, we take the first steps towards understanding technology-enabled participatory platforms. Through an exploratory analysis, following the spirit of a grounded theoretic methodology, we examined technology-enabled participatory platforms in the 25 most populated cities in the United States. We deduce four main archetypes—citizen centric and citizen data, citizen centric and government data, government centric and citizen data, and government centric and citizen-developed solutions of technology-enabled participatory platforms. We describe the intricacies of how collective intelligence is leveraged on these platforms. Implications for local government managers and urban planners are discussed. We hypothesize how the future of these platforms might evolve in the not so distant future.
79 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the core challenges to meeting the needs of the people of the United States and present a novel approach to address them. But, unlike many other books on transit or urban transportation planning in the USA (e.g., Edward Weiner), this book is unique because it focuses on core challenges.
Abstract: Unlike many other books on transit or urban transportation planning in the United States (e.g., Edward Weiner), this book is unique because it focuses on the core challenges to meeting the needs of...
71 citations
TL;DR: The Designing Policy project as mentioned in this paper, a series of workshops on the design of urban technologies, was held in Chicago, New York, and Boston during 2012-2013 with funding from the Urban Communication Foundation.
Abstract: This paper discusses the results of the Designing Policy project, which engages current debates about urban technology through the creation of a visual toolkit and a series of workshops. The workshops were held in Chicago, New York, and Boston during 2012–2013 with funding from the Urban Communication Foundation. The purpose of the project was three-fold: (1) to open up the “black box” of urban technology in order to reveal the politics embedded in city infrastructures; (2) to move beyond discussions of urban problems and solutions, and towards a more conceptual future-oriented space; and (3) to explore the use of design methods such as visual prototypes and participatory design. This article introduces the concept of design friction as a way of understanding the ways in which conflicts, tensions and disagreements can move complex socio-technical discussions forward where they can be worked out through material engagement in hands-on prototyping.
70 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined whether the distances traveled by foreign visitors to events differ from those traveled by non-event (i.e., regular) visitors, and which factors influence such distances.
Abstract: Event tourism has become an important economic component of modern tourism, given the growing numbers of visitors and the development of local communities that it entails. This study examines whether the distances traveled by foreign visitors to events differ from those traveled by non-event (i.e., regular) visitors, and which factors influence such distances. We use passive mobile positioning data obtained from visitors to 145 events in Estonia (119,288 visits) and from a comparison group of regular visitors (199,859 visits) between 2006 and 2009. The results show that events visitors come from nearer locations than regular visitors; similarly to regular visitors, the distance decay principle applies in case of events visitors; and that events bring more visitors from more distant countries in the off-season (winter).
58 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the role of social media in facilitating green infrastructure planning through supporting discourses among online participants is explored, based on communicative rationality theory, and interpretive discourse analysis is used to explore ways in which online participants of a neighborhood online forum in Eugene, Oregon were able to assess and clarify the validity of each other's claims while discussing the location of a new park.
Abstract: This paper explores the role of social media in facilitating green infrastructure planning through supporting discourses among online participants Building on the communicative rationality theory, it adopts interpretive discourse analysis to explore ways in which online participants of a neighborhood online forum in Eugene, Oregon were able to assess and clarify the validity of each other's claims while discussing the location of a new park The results show that this forum did not create a collaborative process, but facilitated this process through its integration with other methods It facilitated a valid dialogue among the group members and provided valuable information for planners regarding the interests of a selected community of citizens
52 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the simulation of a new form of knowledge management for more effective utilization of cultural heritage sites, where tourist paths are offered that are available online and can be downloaded onto mobile devices (smartphones or tablet PCs).
Abstract: Because of today's inadequate interaction between tourists, professionals, and citizens, in this paper the simulation of a new form of knowledge management is presented for more effective utilization of cultural heritage sites. The latest technologies allow interaction of previously separate domains of experience: desire, identity, tourism, memory, and marketing. They are the access keys that, starting from the territory, can take the user into other domains, evaluating the entirety of the cultural heritage. In this regard, the paper presents the simulation of a prototype able to go beyond what is currently provided online: tourist paths are offered that are available online and can be downloaded onto mobile devices (smartphones or tablet PCs), thus creating a tour of the local heritage that provides audio-video content. It allows the opportunity to encourage a deeper exploration of cultural heritage.
41 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider the critical nature of electrical infrastructure and show that blackouts are dress rehearsals for the future in which they will appear with greater frequency and severity.
Abstract: Blackouts—the total loss of electrical power—serve as a reminder of how dependent the modern world and particularly urban areas have become on electricity and the appliances it powers. To understand them we consider the critical nature of electrical infrastructure. In order to provide general patterns from specific cases, a large number of blackouts have been analyzed. Irrespective of cause, they display similar effects. These include measurable economic losses and less easily quantified social costs. We discuss financial damage, food safety, crime, transport, and problems caused by diesel generators. This is more than just a record of past failures; blackouts are dress rehearsals for the future in which they will appear with greater frequency and severity. While energy cannot be destroyed, exergy—the available energy within a system—can be. Exergy is concerned with energy within an “environment;” in this case a city. The bottom line is simple: no matter how “smart” a city may be, it becomes “dumb...
37 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a pioneering Smart Urban Planning Method is presented to reformulate the planning values used for designing and establishing the distribution and use of urban land, which can stimulate and inspire public participation in the urban planning approval process, changing citizens from passive valuators to active partners and designers.
Abstract: In the context of the Smart City Initiative, we present in this paper a pioneering Smart Urban Planning Method to reformulate the planning values used for designing and establishing the distribution and use of urban land. The new planning values for urban design are obtained from an innovative conversion rule which transforms the daily distribution of urban time use into quantities of urban land use. The opinions of citizens concerning how to cover their urban needs and associated time use allocation are used to establish equivalence results, and recalibrate and improve current urban land use. In addition, our method stimulates and inspires public participation in the urban planning approval process, changing citizens from passive valuators to active partners and designers.
33 citations
TL;DR: The vast majority of climate scientists and environmental policy-makers believe global warming represents a significant threat to our planet's future as mentioned in this paper, and they have repeatedly and publicly stated that it is a serious threat.
Abstract: The vast majority of climate scientists and environmental policy-makers believe global warming represents a significant threat to our planet's future. These scholars and leaders have repeatedly and...
32 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the relationship between sociodemographic status and 311 service request frequency in three cities within the United States using geographic information systems (GIS) and regression analysis.
Abstract: As the role of information and communications technologies (ICTs) grows, governments have seen the Geoweb and Web 2.0 as an opportunity to increase citizen involvement through e-government which provides citizens with the ability to record and share information. 311 services represent citizens' most direct contact with local governments in the form of volunteered geographic information (VGI) empowering citizens with the means of solving community issues. Past studies have examined VGI and e-government use finding patterns of a digital divide with survey data; yet, further research which allows for the visualization of these patterns using citizen-generated data is needed to understand the link between users and the content they create. This paper seeks to explore the relationship between sociodemographic status and 311 service request frequency in three cities within the United States using geographic information systems (GIS) and regression analysis. Results suggest the potential existence of a d...
32 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the thermal energy behavior of two buildings in New York City is evaluated with varying urban contexts, in order to evaluate the Inter-Building Effect (IBE), and the IBE analysis shows that the inaccuracy in neglecting the urban context in building modeling varies from 9.6 percent, to 71.9 percent.
Abstract: The reduction of the energy use of buildings at the urban scale represents a key research and design topic with the purpose of developing specific methods for saving energy in buildings. These methods are often focused on the analysis of building thermal-energy behavior by considering the building as a stand-alone object. In this perspective, the thermal-energy behavior of two buildings in New York City is evaluated in this paper with varying urban contexts, in order to evaluate the Inter-Building Effect (IBE). The IBE analysis shows that the inaccuracy in neglecting the urban context in building modeling varies from 9.6 percent, to 71.9 percent. These results confirm that, in order to make accurate predictions about building thermal-energy performance in real urban contexts through dynamic simulation, the interaction between the building and the urban surrounding should be taken into account, in particular in dense urban areas.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider 311 non-emergency contact centers as city-level service integration initiatives and suggest multidimensional (technological, organizational, and cross-organizational) implications.
Abstract: We consider 311 non-emergency contact centers as city-level service integration initiatives. By using a cross-case study of 311 centers at New York and Philadelphia, we found critical success factors and challenges of service integration. This paper suggests multidimensional (technological, organizational, and cross-organizational) implications. Stable operation of 311 centers requires timely investment in having a technological system best fitting for service integration, but city governments with limited resources should instead consider adaptive strategies for overcoming under-equipped situations. While the lack of interoperability remains as a critical barrier to system-level integration, customer service agents play a pivotal role in connecting non-interoperable systems to front office systems and back office systems. Thus training for qualified customer service professionals is key to the seamless operation of 311 contact centers. Turf guarding often raises cross-organizational concerns, but...
TL;DR: This paper uses mobile operator telephony data to visualize the regional flows of people across the Republic of Ireland and demonstrates how the ranking of significant regions of interest may be used to estimate national population, results of which are found to have strong correlation with census data.
Abstract: In the last decade, mobile phones and mobile devices using mobile cellular telecommunication network connections have become ubiquitous. In several developed countries, the penetration of such devices has surpassed 100 percent. They facilitate communication and access to large quantities of data without the requirement of a fixed location or connection. Assuming mobile phones usually are in close proximity with the user, their cellular activities and locations are indicative of the user's activities and movements. As such, those cellular devices may be considered as a large scale distributed human activity sensing platform. This paper uses mobile operator telephony data to visualize the regional flows of people across the Republic of Ireland. In addition, the use of modified Markov chains for the ranking of significant regions of interest to mobile subscribers is investigated. Methodology is then presented which demonstrates how the ranking of significant regions of interest may be used to estimat...
TL;DR: Based on the concepts of connectivity, accessibility, and communicability that originated from the analysis of United Nations documents on the Information Society, the authors analyzed the city of Curitiba, first-ranked in this Index.
Abstract: The concept of digital cities has gained prominence as the importance of ICTs is undoubtedly related to economic, social, and civic development. Brazil is following this trend, and the Ministry of Communications and CPqD created the Brazilian Digital Cities Index for evaluating national digital cities. Based on the concepts of connectivity, accessibility, and communicability that originated from the analysis of United Nations documents on the Information Society, we analyze the city of Curitiba, first-ranked in this Index. We provide a historical vision of the process that enabled the city to achieve this position, and scrutinize the questionnaire used by CPqD. We conclude that the Brazilian Index of Digital Cities does not take into account some key aspects for ranking the city's degree of inclusion in the information society, as proposed by the United Nations. Nevertheless, it is also possible to conclude that Curitiba's position in the ranking represents a historical construction determined by ...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the ways in which established modes of place-based neighborhood association, connection, and communication coincide or conflict with the perceived affordances of connection and association available in social networking sites.
Abstract: Many studies have focused on new media's role in connecting interest-based communities across vast geographic distances; fewer studies have examined how viable social media is as a communication tool within the neighborhood context. This study investigates the ways in which established modes of place-based neighborhood association, connection, and communication coincide or conflict with the perceived affordances of connection and association available in social networking sites. As a case study, we identified a neighborhood association that had seen its participation rates dwindle. The association's steering committee decided to turn to popular social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter) to revitalize. After the initial launch, they garnered only five “likes,” three Twitter followers, and two members for the e-mail listserv out of a possible 550 households. A survey of neighborhood residents showed some potential for social media use but also significant mismatches between the perceived affordan...
TL;DR: A special issue of the Journal of Urban Technology highlights the rich scholarship and activity in the arena of urban informatics as discussed by the authors. The issue includes selected papers from the Symposium on Urban Informatics.
Abstract: This special issue of the Journal of Urban Technology highlights the rich scholarship and activity in the arena of urban informatics. The issue includes selected papers from the Symposium on Urban ...
TL;DR: YouSense as mentioned in this paper is a framework for centralized real-time management of the volunteers' efforts, which uses location tracking and model-based methods to target questions to participants only when they are in the optimal situation to contribute data.
Abstract: Participatory sensing uses humans as intelligent sensors by asking them questions on mobile devices. It has been used to monitor effects of climate on plants, potholes in streets, and people's happiness in urban environments. These phenomena are difficult and expensive to measure with traditional electronic sensors. Previous participatory sensing projects have relied on the enthusiasm of the volunteers to notice and report events of interest. YouSense is a framework for centralized real-time management of the volunteers’ efforts. It uses location tracking and model-based methods to target questions to participants only when they are in the optimal situation to contribute data.We have conducted two outdoor case studies to evaluate YouSense. Although it was effective at reducing participant effort wasted on unnecessary answers by 4× in short, focused studies, it was ineffective at targeting questions to valuable locations in long-term studies. Simulation results show that these outcomes are due to d...
TL;DR: Several mobile phone traffic data sources provided by Telecom Italia were integrated in a systemic way for a comprehensive evaluation of the overall potential of these data in describing urban dynamics.
Abstract: The paper will present the main results of research aimed at evaluating different mobile phone data sources for urban analysis and planning for the Monza and Brianza Province (Northern Italy) during 2011. In order to analyze the complex temporal and spatial patterns of this spatial context, we used several mobile phone traffic data (i.e. Erlang measures, SMS counts, MSC active clients counts), provided by Telecom Italia, covering two time slots in 2009 and 2010. We therefore integrated manifold mobile phone network data sources in a systemic way for a comprehensive evaluation of the overall potential of these data in describing urban dynamics.
TL;DR: In this paper, a study focused on examining human social and economic behavioral patterns in Uganda through the analysis of a CDR data set generated in a Ugandan mobile telephone network in 2010 is presented.
Abstract: The analysis of Call Detail Record (CDR) data sets generated by mobile telephony networks has generated much interest in recent years, particularly as an easily accessed source of large volumes of data capable of reflecting the dynamic behavior of humans across a range of temporal and spatial scales. This paper presents a study focused on examining human social and economic behavioral patterns in Uganda through the analysis of a CDR data set generated in a Ugandan mobile telephone network in 2010. By examining the response of subscribers to a service incentivizing higher mobile phone call rates through the offering of discounts, economically motivated differences in subscriber behavior in poorer versus wealthier regions of the country are identified. The paper also presents an analysis which suggests a high degree of social insularity within the regions of Uganda which is most likely related to regionally economic development levels in addition to the high levels of ethnic homogeneity within those...
TL;DR: This special issue of Journal of Urban Technology aims to provide an overview of how mobile positioning data are used in geographical studies, as a conclusion of the Mobile Tartu 2012 Conference that was held in Estonia during August 22–25, 2012.
Abstract: This special issue of Journal of Urban Technology aims to provide an overview of how mobile positioning data are used in geographical studies. The issue has been compiled as a conclusion of the Mob...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on an initial study of the online event information landscape of neighborhoods in a mid-sized US city and show that the event information is highly fragmented, decentralized, and has low rates of duplication.
Abstract: Local events foster community pride, cohesion, and community attachment. Keeping residents informed about the existence of local events is necessary to reach events’ targeted audiences and realize their positive consequences. This article reports on an initial study of the online event information landscape of neighborhoods in a mid-sized US city. Our results show that the event information landscape is highly fragmented, decentralized, and has low rates of duplication. This creates challenges for residents looking for event information and for event organizers and technology developers seeking to provide timely information about events.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analyze recent changes in French regulations and the process of creating an intercommunal energy-related competence in the Lyon metropolitan area, focusing on the institutional and political conditions surrounding a change in governance as well as the underlying justifications in the reconsideration of an existing infrastructure in view of new energy, climate, and social challenges within a specific urban context.
Abstract: How do climate and energy objectives influence the renewal of the role of network infrastructures in urban planning and the running of urban systems? The example of the revival of interest in district heating networks provides a few possible answers to this question, which is central to the understanding and characterization of the conditions for carrying out the urban energy transition. In this paper, we study this example by analyzing recent changes in French regulations and the process of creating an intercommunal energy-related competence in the Lyon metropolitan area. Emphasis is placed on the institutional and political conditions surrounding a change in governance as well as the underlying justifications in the reconsideration of an existing infrastructure in view of new energy, climate, and social challenges within a specific urban context. Our study has been carried out in reference to several discussions on urban planning and on institutional, political, and spatial factors that shape ur...
TL;DR: This work focuses on creation of a descriptive probability model for the movement based on Spatial Bayesian Networks and presents the methods on a real world data set collected during a football game in Nîmes, France in June 2011.
Abstract: Analysis of people's movements represented by continuous sequences of spatio-temporal data tuples have received lots of attention in recent years. The focus of those studies was mostly GPS data recorded on a constant sample rate. However, the creation of intelligent location-aware models and environments also requires reliable localization in indoor environments as well as in mixed indoor/outdoor scenarios. In these cases, signal loss makes usage of GPS infeasible; therefore other recording technologies evolved. Our approach is analysis of episodic movement data. This data contains some uncertainties among time (continuity), space (accuracy), and the number of recorded objects (coverage). Prominent examples of episodic movement data are spatio-temporal activity logs, cell-based tracking data, and billing records. To give one detailed example, Bluetooth tracking monitors the presence of mobile phones and intercoms within a sensor's footprints. Usage of multiple sensors provides flows among the sens...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss community workers' expectations about the influence of the Internet on social capital and on social inclusion among youngsters from segregated areas of the city, and they find that the Internet is increasing openness of youngsters' minds and their social integration, giving a glimmer of hope in light of the challenges of segregation.
Abstract: In this paper, we discuss Belfast community workers' expectations about the influence of the Internet on social capital and on social inclusion among youngsters from segregated areas of the city. For the purpose of conducting onsite research, we selected one of the main organizations working with young people and distributed a questionnaire among the organization's workers. The results show that according to the workers' expectations, the Internet is increasing the openness of youngsters' minds and their social integration, giving a glimmer of hope in light of the challenges of segregation; at the same time, those surveyed indicated that the Internet is not strengthening ties among the young people they work with. Secondly, we verified that different Internet use by the respondents correlated to different expectations, and we found a slight difference in expectations between “higher” and “lower” Internet users.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors consider spatial characteristics on the local level, because thermal energy supply relates to spatial structure, and suggest its consideration in spatial planning on local level is still an open question.
Abstract: Space heat has a great share in total energy consumption—complemented by an increasing energy demand for space cooling—and is responsible for a high share of carbon dioxide emissions in the building sector. Energy and climate change policies therefore require a transition to a climate-friendly thermal energy supply. These changes will have to consider spatial characteristics on the local level, because thermal energy supply relates to spatial structure. Urban density, population structure, existing infrastructure, and locations of renewable energies are factors that characterize thermal energy supply as a spatially relevant topic, and suggest its consideration in spatial planning on the local level. What local thermal energy planning might look like is still an open question. In older literature, the example of energy planning in Denmark has been discussed, but also the current example of Swiss spatial energy planning might be an interesting impulse for future research on local thermal energy plan...
TL;DR: Anduiza et al. as mentioned in this paper provided an in-depth overview of the state of practice for such sites, including stated goals and challenges, current applications, and both technical and realized capabilities.
Abstract: Online participation in political processes has grown in advanced industrial societies like the United States (E. Anduiza, A. Gallego, and M. Cantijoch, “Online Political Participation in Spain: The Impact of Traditional and Internet Resources,” Journal of Information Technology & Politics 7: 4 (2010) 356–368). Experimentation and goal-setting have been done around integrating two-way communication into online GIS portals to advance online participation. Increasingly, web development information technology enables the development of these functions. However, the state of practice has not developed to support such activities. This paper relies on literature and a survey of US geoportals to provide an in-depth overview of the state of practice for such sites, including stated goals and challenges, current applications, and both technical and realized capabilities. This paper then discusses this state of practice through the lens of the development process of a new geoportal for the St Louis region. ...
TL;DR: New intelligent infrastructure systems are described within the context of interconnected cybernetic networks to consider the universal design of more equitable, sustainable, and secure urban space.
Abstract: The emergence of interconnected networks which include an intelligent lighting infrastructure is creating urban spaces possessing ambient intelligence in the form of smart sensors, embedded microprocessors, and cybernetic feedback systems. In his paper, Architectural Relevance of Cybernetics (1969), Gordon Pask envisioned an adaptive cybernetic system wherein the architecture becomes an electronic interface. Pask's approach has powerful implications for the universal design of “smart” urban infrastructures. New intelligent infrastructure systems are described within the context of interconnected cybernetic networks to consider the universal design of more equitable, sustainable, and secure urban space.