CITIES OF DATA. EXPLORING THE NEW URBAN SCIENCE
Today, a new wave of rapid global urbanization in the Global South, combined with the need to curb carbon emissions in the cities of the Global North, is driving renewed interest in the city as an object of scientific inquiry and engineering design. New institutions to pursue this agenda are appearing on an almost daily basis. And much like a century ago, they are leveraging and nurturing collaborations amongst new talent from many different fields of study and practice – who see in cities questions of great complexity.
The big question this project seeks to address then is – what happens next for urban studies, and what does it mean for the way we build, manage and live in cities? Are we at a new inflection point, like the birth of planning itself in the early 20th century? What might come out the other side of this historic process – a completely new field, a dramatically changed one, or a continuation of the status quo?
The stage is set for a big shakeup in what we study about cities how we do it. During the 20th century, leaps in urban science were often driven by basic curiosity and a technocratic mindset. The flow of knowledge was generally in one direction, from researcher to public official. But this upheaval comes within a new urban and technological context, which may create a dramatically new kind of science. Cities are growing bigger, faster and with fewer financial resources than ever before, and eager to define the problems for scientists to tackle. Citizens raised in an era of mass connectedness and transparency expect to participate in efforts to study urban problems and put the resulting solutions into action. Open data platforms provide powerful tools for new kinds of research collaborations.
How, then, is the new urban science engaging local governments and citizens? What is the role of open data in facilitating these collaborations? And how might these research practices produce better science, and improve the transfer of new discoveries into the public and private sector?
URBAN BIG DATA CENTRE
The Urban Big Data Centre (UBDC) was established by the UK Economic and Social Research Council to address social, economic and environmental challenges facing cities.
The UBDC brings together interdisciplinary expertise of urban social scientists and data scientists from the University of Glasgow and six partner universities of Edinburgh, Bristol, Cambridge, Reading, Sheffield and Illinois-Chicago to seek solutions in addressing such challenges.
We support strategies for urban planning and policy-making, business innovations, behavioural interventions for sustainable and engaged urban living, and advocacy and citizen participation relating to a wide spectrum of urban sectors such as economic development, transport, housing, education, environment and other areas.
Our academic researchers are undertaking innovative research projects, covering methodology such as big data management and urban indicators for policymaking, as well as a range of urban topics such as housing, transportation, migration and more.
The work of the UBDC also focuses on methods and technologies to manage, link and analyse massive amounts of multi-sectoral urban big data. This includes a data portal for open and safeguarded data, allowing users from diverse backgrounds access to our data for their own research and analyses.
Additionally, the UBDC provides a range of research support services, training and capacity-building to a wide range of users, including public events such as workshops, seminars and training sessions.
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Week picks series features different initiatives and projects I found or want to highlight on this blog. It will help me track new findings from community groups, startups or local governments working and delivering solutions relevant to the issues covered on this blog. I often bookmark them or save them on Tumblr.
Today, a new wave of rapid global urbanization in the Global South, combined with the need to curb carbon emissions in the cities of the Global North, is driving renewed interest in the city as an object of scientific inquiry and engineering design. New institutions to pursue this agenda are appearing on an almost daily basis. And much like a century ago, they are leveraging and nurturing collaborations amongst new talent from many different fields of study and practice – who see in cities questions of great complexity.
The big question this project seeks to address then is – what happens next for urban studies, and what does it mean for the way we build, manage and live in cities? Are we at a new inflection point, like the birth of planning itself in the early 20th century? What might come out the other side of this historic process – a completely new field, a dramatically changed one, or a continuation of the status quo?
The stage is set for a big shakeup in what we study about cities how we do it. During the 20th century, leaps in urban science were often driven by basic curiosity and a technocratic mindset. The flow of knowledge was generally in one direction, from researcher to public official. But this upheaval comes within a new urban and technological context, which may create a dramatically new kind of science. Cities are growing bigger, faster and with fewer financial resources than ever before, and eager to define the problems for scientists to tackle. Citizens raised in an era of mass connectedness and transparency expect to participate in efforts to study urban problems and put the resulting solutions into action. Open data platforms provide powerful tools for new kinds of research collaborations.
How, then, is the new urban science engaging local governments and citizens? What is the role of open data in facilitating these collaborations? And how might these research practices produce better science, and improve the transfer of new discoveries into the public and private sector?
URBAN BIG DATA CENTRE
The Urban Big Data Centre (UBDC) was established by the UK Economic and Social Research Council to address social, economic and environmental challenges facing cities.
The UBDC brings together interdisciplinary expertise of urban social scientists and data scientists from the University of Glasgow and six partner universities of Edinburgh, Bristol, Cambridge, Reading, Sheffield and Illinois-Chicago to seek solutions in addressing such challenges.
We support strategies for urban planning and policy-making, business innovations, behavioural interventions for sustainable and engaged urban living, and advocacy and citizen participation relating to a wide spectrum of urban sectors such as economic development, transport, housing, education, environment and other areas.
Our academic researchers are undertaking innovative research projects, covering methodology such as big data management and urban indicators for policymaking, as well as a range of urban topics such as housing, transportation, migration and more.
The work of the UBDC also focuses on methods and technologies to manage, link and analyse massive amounts of multi-sectoral urban big data. This includes a data portal for open and safeguarded data, allowing users from diverse backgrounds access to our data for their own research and analyses.
Additionally, the UBDC provides a range of research support services, training and capacity-building to a wide range of users, including public events such as workshops, seminars and training sessions.
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Week picks series features different initiatives and projects I found or want to highlight on this blog. It will help me track new findings from community groups, startups or local governments working and delivering solutions relevant to the issues covered on this blog. I often bookmark them or save them on Tumblr.
I don’t like it when a topic starts because I feel guilty, this site https://us.calmerry.com/blog/self-esteem/why-do-i-feel-guilty-for-no-reason/ has a blog about why I feel guilty, so I deal with it, and fortunately, there is excellent online therapy where good therapists
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