Spatial representation of data in Urban Planning and Design

11/29/10
Challenge the future
Delft
University of
Technology
Quantitative Methods of
Research
Research Methods for Urban Planners and Designers
Roberto Rocco, Urbanism

Data, Statistics and Spatial Representation
Data, statistics
and how to
represent them
spatially!

Data, statistics
and how to
represent them
spatially!
For a fact based
view of the
world
(Hans Rosling)

The Science of Great Numbers
Statistics is a mathematical science
pertaining to the collection, analysis,
interpretation or explanation, and
presentation of data
Understanding Society

Census X Statistics
Data collection only is not exactly
statistics.
Statistics is about understanding
trends and their evolution through
periods of time using data.
Measuring Society X Interpreting society

Population measures
Population measures (birth and death
rates) were the major preoccupation
of early quantifiers of society.
Measuring Society

The origin of the name: Statistik
Although census have been around since antiquity,
the science of understanding trends, foreseeing
outcomes and explaining societal movements
through numbers is relatively new.

The origin of the name: Statistik
The study of ‘ social numbers’ needed a name. In
1749, the German scholar Gottfried Achenwall
suggested that since this science dealt with the
natural ‘states’ of society (rather than ‘laws’) , it
should be called Statistik.

Modern sources for data
• The Census (CBS): several kinds of census
• Revenue (Belastingdienst)
• Commercial associations (KvK)
• Municipalities and ministries (former VROM,
Traffic, Housing, Green , Pollution, Water, etc)
• Internet is not a source: it is a means. Where in the
internet? (source = institution/publisher/author)

The World Population in 2008
Source: CIA World Fact Book
In this example, we deal with the visualization of raw
numbers. No ‘trends’ are described.
6,707  973  4,054  732  577  337  34.3 
World  Africa  Asia  Europe 
Latin 
America 
Northern 
America  Oceania

Graphic representation
Immediate reading
Here, the same numbers are presented in a graphical, audience
friendly way. Explaining these numbers is made easier by dealing
with graphic representation. Excel is a good tool to achieve this.
0  2,000 4,000 6,000 
World 
Africa 
Asia 
Europe 
Latin America* 
Northern America* 
Oceania 
World 
Africa 
Asia 
Europe 
Latin America* 
Northern America* 
Oceania

World Population by Country
Here, numbers are pegged to territorial units. These units
are too big to give us any idea about real densities, but this
map informs us about absolute numbers.

Evolution of World Population
between 1750 and 2150
Source: World Bank, 2009. Here, the progression of world population is
shown. There is a possibility to understand this progression through
absolute numbers through TIME and therefore to identify possible
trends and ‘project’ numbers into the future (estimating).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Population 791 978 1262 1650 2521 5978 6707 8909 9746
Year 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 1999 2008 2050 2150
791 978
1262
1650
2521
5978
6707
8909
9746
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000

What is the meaning of life?
It is all about correlations
The meaning
of life is 42.
Here, we show an example of uncorrelated data. The meaning of life is
14 in relation to what? But whose life are we talking about? The question
was not well formulated in the first place.

The answer to the Ultimate Question
of Life, the Universe and
Everything
•  The number 42 is in the novel ‘The Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy’ by Douglas Adams.
•  The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe,
and Everything is calculated by an enormous supercomputer
over a period of 7.5 million years to be 42. Unfortunately no
one knows what the correlations are (42 what?)

Population Growth Rates
Trends and progressions can also be represented in spatial
units. Here we see which countries are growing in terms of
total population, which ones are stable and which are
shrinking.

Change in city population in
Northern Europe 1985-1995
Source: Nordregio

NL population growth by municipality
2007-2025 (prognosis)
Source: CBS

Population density per square mile (2.6 sq
km) Interactive
http://www.time.com/time/covers/20061030/where_we_live/

Indian Population Growth Rate
GIS
This is a ‘classic’ example of GIS use. Here data on population growth is
pegged to Indian districts to show intensity of growth represented by colours.
The legenda is there to indicate units. Source: gisdevelopment.net

The science of trends and
probabilities
The analysis of social data over
extended periods of time can give us
indications on trends and
probabilities, but never certainties.
Undersanding where society is going
It is possible to measure some social processes. The science of big large numbers
informs us about the behaviour of large numbers of people, but not about the
behaviour of individuals. It is also not an ‘exact’ science, in the sense that results
are inferred, but they are not mathematical certainties.

Spatializing Data
One of the great ‘leaps forward’ in statistics was
the pegging of data to space, generally in the
form of maps.
Understanding society and space

Spatializing Data
The correlation of space with social processes has
revealed behavioral patterns and social processes
that are simultaneously defining and defined by
space.
An iterative relationship

John Snow: The London Cholera
Epidemic of 1854
Published by C.F. Cheffins, Lith, Southhampton Buildings, London, England, 1854 in Snow, John. On the Mode of
Communication of Cholera, 2nd Ed, John Churchill, New Burlington Street, London, England, 1855.
Putting data in space and making conclusions

Seoul Population Density per District (2000)
Source: So_Jeong Park, 2008 (Graduation Project TU Delft)

Seoul: Residential Land Value (2006)
Source: So_Jeong Park, 2008 (Graduation Project TU Delft)

Seoul: Residents on Social Welfare
Programs (1999)

Correlation is not causality
Source: http://www.os.amsterdam.nl/pdf/
2007_probleemwijken_amsterdam.pdf

Mapping clandestine settlements in Sao
Paulo
Data source: IBGE, Map: Roberto Rocco

Mapping land value in Sao Paulo
Data source: Bolsa de Imoveis 2002, Map: Roberto Rocco

Mapping average income in Sao Paulo
Data source: Prefeitura Sao Paulo, Map: Roberto Rocco

Human Development Index
United Nations Human Development Forum
The Human Development Index (HDI) is an index used to rank
countries by level of development of social indicators. This
may show us whether a country is developed, developing, or
underdeveloped. It combines three key indicators:
•  Life expectancy at birth
•  Knowledge and education, measured by the adult literacy
rate (2/3) and the combined primary, secondary, and tertiary
gross enrolment ratio (1/3).
•  Gross domestic product per capita at purchasing power parity
(PPP).

Human Development IndexThe
United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) rankings for 2008,
Source: UN

HDI in the USA (2010)
Source: The American Human Development Project (American Social Sciences
Research Council)

Using the same methodology for a city
Here, smaller territorial units (districts) are used and the same
indicators are measured at a very local level. The social-make up of
the city is clearly outlined, though some nuances are not visible.
Source: IBGE. Map: Roberto Rocco

Using the same methodology for a city
Here, very small units of analysis are used, based on postal code areas.
Remember that each postal code corresponds to a very small territorial
unit, and sometimes even to one building. This gives us a very precise
description of the social make-up at the very local level. Using GIS
(Geographical and Information Systems), data (numbers) can be
represented on geographic interface (a map)

Racial/ ethnic self identification Chicago (2000)
Source: http://www.radicalcartography.net/index.html?chicagodots

Annual household income in Chicago (2000?)
Source: http://www.radicalcartography.net/index.html?chicagodots

But why oh why do we need statistics and its
graphic representation in urbanism?
•  Which country has the highest child mortality in the
following pairs?
•  Sri Lanka or Turkey
•  Poland or South Korea
•  Malaysia or Russia
•  Pakistan or Vietnam
•  Thailand or South Africa

Hans Rosling shows the best
stats you've ever seen at
TED Ideas worth spreading
•  http://www.ted.com/talks/
hans_rosling_shows_the_best_stats_you_ve_ever_seen.html

Visit Hans Rosling’s site
• http://www.gapminder.org/
•  And watch the BBC4 documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbkSRLYSojo

The Randstad
This map shows the
percentage of low
income households per
municipality. The
source is the
Ruimtelijke Plan Bureau
RPB, 2004.
Map by R. Rocco

The Randstad
This map shows the
percentage of creative
jobs in the total
employment per
municipality. The
source is the
Ruimtelijke Plan Bureau
RPB, 2004.
Map by R. Rocco

The South Wing
This map was extracted from the work “Looping the archipelago” . This
work is the graduation work of the EMU European Masters of Urbanism
Studio Mobile Strategies (Remon Rooij and Roberto Rocco). This is a
conventional satellite view of the regional, but the water has been
‘enhanced’ in white. Some important info is missing, like the scale, the
north arrow,etc.

living / working in the southwing
source: Geographical Informa4onal System, Cluster Analysis
The South Wing
This GIS analysis was
extracted from the
work “Looping the
archipelago” . This
work is the graduation
work of the EMU
European Masters of
Urbanism Studio Mobile
Strategies (Remon
Rooij and Roberto
Rocco). This map
shows concentration of
dwellings versus
concentration of work
posts)

services / produc4on in the southwing
The South Wing
extracted from the
work “Looping the
work of the EMU
European Masters of
Strategies (Remon
Rooij and Roberto
Rocco). This map
services versus
concentration of
industrial activity.

social clusters in the southwing
The South Wing
extracted from the
work “Looping the
work of the EMU
European Masters of
Strategies (Remon
Rooij and Roberto
Rocco). This map
non-western non-native
immigrants versus
concentration of
western non-native
immigrants.

environmental balance car domina4on
71,6 % car, 14,3% public transport,
12,2% slower means of transport
modal split development 1960‐2000
car based system ...
traﬃc intensity (na4onal and provincial roads)
motorway oriented network
“unequal distribu4on of public
transport between main centers
and peripheries”   source: ‘Ontwikkelingen in Verkeer en Vervoer 1990 – 2020’, AVV
source: The supply, use and quality of randstad holland’s transporta4on networks in compara4ve perspec4ve, Hilbers and Wilmink, 2002

TheBigQuestionsofClimat
Change
Source:AdolfoArranzathttp://www.flickr.com/photos/adolfux/

Thank you

MAPSCROLL 
http://mapscroll.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.htm 
Information is beautiful 
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/ 
Flowing Data 
http://flowingdata.com/ 
Urban Data Visualization Lab University of Illinois 
http://www.uic.edu/cuppa/udv/research.html 
Design Reviver (for info graphics) 
http://designreviver.com/inspiration/30‐of‐the‐best‐infographics‐that‐effectively‐
showcase‐data/ 
50 informative and well design graphics 
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/50‐informative‐and‐well‐designed‐infographics/ 
Please, have a look at the Statistical Literacy Guides  of the British government for 
useful guides in English 
http://www.parliament.uk/topics/Statistics‐policyArchive.htm 
For more innovative and inventive use of statistics in
maps and graphic representation, go to

http://flowingdata.com/2010/11/29/statistics-vs-stories/
For an analysis on the differences between individual
stories and statistics go to

Las Vegas from '73 to '92
Source: New York Times Report on Urban Growth

Built area growth in the city of
São Paulo, Brazil
Source: MEYER, R., GROSTEIN, M. D. & BIDERMAN, C.
2004. Sao Paulo Metropole, Sao Paulo, EDUSP

Built area growth in the city of
Sidney, Australia
Source: Government of Queensland, Australia.

Questions? Answers?
Please contact me at
Roberto Rocco
R.c.rocco@tudelft.nl

Spatial representation of data in Urban Planning and Design

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