As layers of networks and digital information blanket urban space, new approaches to the study of the built environment are emerging. The way we describe and understand cities is being radically transformed—as are the tools we use to design them. In this presentation, I will explore how we can use digital tools to understand urban phenomena in novel ways. In Desirable Streets, I will explore how we can quantify what makes some street more desirable than others by analyzing hundreds of thousands of actual pedestrians trips in Boston, based on data collected via self-tracking apps.
In Favela 4D I will show how we’re combining community involvement with handheld laser scanning technologies and methods to mathematically understand the complex urban environment of informal settlements in Rio de Janeiro.
