Quantitative qualitative data collection

Abstract

While urban areas are predicted to expand due to population growth, new approaches towards smart solutions in urban infrastructure and transportation are on the rise. With access to new technology, data has been given much attention from municipalities and decision makers. This thesis is interested in how the public sector will utilize the untapped potential of data collection, and what effects that might have on physical planning, congestion, pollution, dialog and accessibility.

By discussing the level of participation of data collection and GIS, this thesis aim is to discuss what added value data collection might have in urban planning, what complications might occur and what the perspective of PPGIS could add to the method.

The body of research consists out of an introduction to why data collection is becoming an important method in planning, and why dialog needs to be complemented with other methods. A more theoretical approach to planning and the public-private partnership that has emerged in post-industrial cities is also presented. Theory and background is complemented with qualitative interviews with both public and private actors in order to get some practical insight of project using data collection, and new methods emerging due to technical progress.

This thesis has shown that there are several areas where detailed data collection with geographical components could add information to the process of physical planning. A few areas identified by practitioners are short term management of transport systems, long term planning, and evaluation. This thesis also concludes that dialog could benefit from being complemented by data collection. The growing relationship between private and public actors, and the private actors increasing influence in planning is also discussed as a potential problem.

Popular Abstract

While new technology has changed the way we communicate, we as individuals produce copious amounts of data each day, which are stored and used by private actors to increase their profits. With the increased accessibility to information, the public sector is now investigating how to extract useful information as basis for decisions in planning. The infrastructure sector, and transportation flow is already identified as a major problem in dense cities by both private and public actors, thus many tools and services available are targeting this sector.

This thesis claim that there is a two-sided spectrum of different methods for collecting detailed data of the population. One is side of the spectrum is "passive data", where the user of an app, phone or similar, is not aware that their position is being logged. It is not legal to sell that type of data in Sweden today. In the US and Australia however, private actors have long bought and sold data about private users to make conclusions about how different target groups move in the urban space.

The other side of the spectrum is public participatory geographical information systems (PPGIS), which is also part of this thesis theoretical framework. This method is closer to the method used in dialogue, where the user participates and defines the problem, as well as the solution.

• author: Ericsson, Agnes
• supervisor: Ola Hall
• organization: Department of Human Geography
• alternative title: The more we know, the better we can long-term plan and short term manage
• course: SGEM08 20171
• year: 2017
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Social Sciences
• keywords: GIS, PPGIS, Physical planning, Dialog, Participation, Human Geography, Private-Public Management
• publication/series: Department of Human Geography, University of Lund
• language: English
• id: 8911534
• date added to LUP: 2019-03-04 08:11:14
• date last changed: 2019-03-04 08:11:14