Developing and exploring methods to understand human-nature interactions in urban areas using new forms of big data

Lead Research Organisation: University of Glasgow
Department Name: School of Social & Political Sciences

Abstract

The aim of this research is to explore how new forms of spatial big data from mobile phones can be used to examine urban human-nature interactions. While the health and well-being benefits of greenspace have been increasingly recognised, they have taken on even greater significance over the last year and a half due to the Covid-19 restrictions. These same restrictions may also have widened inequalities in access to greenspace, and hence contributed to widening health inequalities. Mobile phone data have the potential to provide a better understanding of human behaviour in urban natural spaces but, as a novel form of data, they also contain potential biases. This project examines how we might overcome these biases and use these data to better understand human-nature interactions in urban areas. This particular application can also be seen as a test case or demonstrator for many other potential applications involving the fine-grained analysis of population mobility.

Background:
The human-nature dynamic is important for our cities even in 'normal' times. In a time of pandemic, the perceived benefits of natural spaces are amplified, with greenspace playing an even greater role in promoting the health and well-being of our urban societies. Nature has been a source of physical and mental respite and nourishment for many during the pandemic, with lockdown rules heightening our appreciation for local parks and greenspaces. This increased engagement with natural areas may well form one of the enduring legacies of this time. However, the restrictions imposed by the pandemic (notably on public transport) may have exacerbated existing inequalities on access to and use of greenspace.

Traditionally, the sample survey is the most common tool for understanding the use of greenspace. It remains important for providing a high-level picture of changes in preferences and social norms towards nature spaces as well as overall usage. However, limitations of sample size mean it cannot provide detailed understanding of changes in the use of different kinds of sites or variations over time in response to relatively short-lived restrictions on movement. Uneven response rates or weaknesses in sampling strategies may also introduce biases in results. For greenspace managers, surveys cannot provide the kind of site-specific spatiotemporal picture needed to inform strategies for investment and management as they struggle to cope with the pressures of increased visitor numbers or other changes in use causes by the pandemic. Mobile phone data offer enormous potential by virtue of the volume of data available, the wide population coverage and the spatial and temporal detail provided. However, the processes by which these data are produced are often rather unclear and they may also contain biases in population coverage which impact on the picture they provide. We need to pay close attention to the quality of the data and understand how this quality may vary between the different commercial providers.

Proposed research:
We will address the issues of bias and representativeness in mobile phone data directly. All the data we use are deidentified (i.e. all names, phone numbers or other personal identifiers have been removed), but we can use the movements of each mobile phone to infer which area a user lives in and hence how geographically and socially representative the data are. We can then adjust or weight the data to try to provide a more representative picture if necessary. Mobile phone data can be licensed from different providers yet almost nothing is known about how data vary between commercial operators. We explore this by comparing data from two different providers of mobile phone data. With our enhanced datasets, we will explore variations in the patterns of greenspace usage across the different stages of the pandemic. We will also examine social inequalities in who uses different kinds of sites, how often and how far people travel to do so.
 
Description The early results of our project are already leading to impacts in both the commercial sector and further research initiatives. Our collaboration with Huq Industries exemplifies this impact. By adopting our methodologies on home location detection, Huq Industries has improved the accuracy of their socio-demographic profiling in mobile phone data analysis. This enhancement is crucial for businesses and policymakers, enabling more informed decisions based on a less biased data. In the realm of academic and applied research, our work is influencing new projects, such as one funded by the DCMS (reported in further funding). This R and D project, which explores public engagement with cultural and sports events in the UK, is utilising our initial findings on the use of mobile phone app data to study visitation. Our findings on the use of the data for greenspace use are not only guiding this study but also inspiring new research questions, potentially leading to significant discoveries for the connected cultural and sports spaces. These developments demonstrate the practical application and relevance of our research. As we continue our work on the 2nd half of the project, we anticipate our findings will foster even more collaborations and contribute to a broader understanding of mobile phone app data for the study of human-nature interactions in urban environments.
First Year Of Impact 2023
Sector Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections
Impact Types Cultural

Economic

Policy & public services

 
Description Data & Intelligence Network Pilot Public Engagement Panel
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
URL https://blogs.gov.scot/digital/2023/03/23/update-from-the-pilot-public-engagement-panel-exploring-da...
 
Description Capturing Engagement Numbers
Amount £735,575 (GBP)
Organisation Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2023 
End 03/2025
 
Description Designing an interactive Greenspace dashboard for stakeholders using mobile phone app data
Amount £20,030 (GBP)
Funding ID 323381 
Organisation University of Glasgow 
Department University of Glasgow Impact Acceleration Award
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 07/2023 
End 03/2025
 
Title Mobility metrics for Glasgow City Region 2019-2021 
Description The mobility metrics dataset was created using mobile phone application data from [Huq](https://data.ubdc.ac.uk/dataset/huq-data/ "Title") and [Tamoco](https://data.ubdc.ac.uk/dataset/tamoco/ "Title") data. The aim of the dataset is to produce small-area aggregate measures of mobility over time. The data covers Glasgow city-region with results broken down by Intermediate Zone (417 in the city-region) from 1st July 2019 - 31st December 2021 (2.5 years) with results aggregated quarterly (10 periods). The Mobility is measured following [Cuebiq Mobility Index approach](https://help.cuebiq.com/hc/en-us/articles/360041285051-Mobility-Insights-Mobility-Index-CMI-/ "Title"). Mobility analysis is limited to mobile phone users determined to live within the Glasgow city-region (see technical report 'Calculating home location for mobile phone data' for details. This report is sent with the dataset). ##Access and Restrictions## Data are available for non-commercial, academic research by UK-based academics under an End User Licence. Note: both Huq and Tamoco end user licences must be signed to access this dataset. ##Access to the data## To request access to Mobility metrics for Glasgow City Region Data, please get in touch with UBDC using the form on our website at: https://www.ubdc.ac.uk/data-services/data-services/access-our-services/ 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2023 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact This is a research dataset which supports induvidual mobility analysis at a resolution usually not possible through traditional data. 
URL https://data.ubdc.ac.uk/dataset/30431033-82ef-44cb-b1b8-9a1d240463d2
 
Description Glasgow City Council Park Management 
Organisation Glasgow City Council
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution We have worked closely with the Data Inteligence Network and park management and opperations team. We have provided early results and data ouputs from the project to these teams to help them inform on their park strategy.
Collaborator Contribution The relevant teams provided us with access to park data, including quality data, which is being used in our project. We have worked closely with members of the team on outputs from the project. This included on GIS analysis, where team members from Glasgow City Council were involved.
Impact Conference paper submitted to GIScience conference in Leeds co-authored by member of Glasgow City Council.
Start Year 2023
 
Description Greenspace Scotland Project Engagement 
Organisation Greenspace Scotland
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution We have held meetings online and in person with members of staff from Greenspace Scotland to discuss early results from the project and how these may be used by them.
Collaborator Contribution The meetings held were also an oppertunity to inform the research team on the direction of the project.
Impact Currently arranging a workshop with the partner.
Start Year 2023
 
Description Data Makes A Difference attendance 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The 'Data Makes a Difference' event was an engaging and informative session that showcased the impactful use of data in various service areas. Attendees gained insights into how data-driven approaches revolutionized service delivery, with a special focus on the collaboration between the project team and Glasgow Council, particularly around the innovative use of mobile phone app data to enhance greenspace utilization.

This event featured presentations from several service areas, including NRS, the Chief Executive's office, and the Health & Social Care Partnership, highlighting how data had significantly improved the services they offered. It was an excellent opportunity to see real-world examples of data making a tangible difference.

In addition to these insightful presentations, attendees had the chance to experience live demonstrations of data-driven solutions in key areas such as housing, economic development, planning, and financial inclusion. These demonstrations were tailored to show the practical application of data in addressing complex challenges and enhancing service efficiency.

The event was tailored for a wide range of professionals within the organization, from senior and operational managers to data collectors and analysts. It was a unique opportunity for anyone who used data in their role to see how it could be applied more effectively and creatively.

Running for approximately 45 minutes, the event concluded with live demo sessions, offering a hands-on experience with various data-driven solutions. The 'Data Makes a Difference' event was both enlightening and inspiring, and was an occasion not to be missed for those looking to harness the power of data in their work.

A highlight of the event was the presentation on a collaborative project between our team and Glasgow Council. This project utilized mobile phone app data to study greenspace usage in Glasgow. By analyzing this data, we were able to gain valuable insights into how residents interact with greenspaces, which in turn informed the council's strategies for urban planning and environmental management. This project not only demonstrated the innovative use of technology in urban studies but also underscored the importance of collaborative efforts in leveraging data for community betterment.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=29341
 
Description EdinbR Seminar: Mobile phone data and big(ger) data workflows 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact At the EdinbR seminar, "Mobile Phone Data and Big(ger) Data Workflows," my presentation titled "Exploring the Use of Glasgow's Greenspaces Using Mobile Phone App Data" highlighted the application of R to manage and analyze large datasets derived from mobile phone apps. The talk focused on a case study of Glasgow's greenspaces, demonstrating how R can be used to evaluate the representativeness of mobile app data, estimate visitation numbers, and analyze usage patterns. The seminar underscored the potential of mobile app data in urban planning, while addressing the challenges in ensuring data accuracy and representativeness.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.meetup.com/edinbr/events/293427304/
 
Description Royal Geographic Society: Developing and exploring methods to understand human-nature interactions in urban areas using new forms of big data 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact This talk was given as part of a session called 'Why do urban green and blue spaces matter for health and wellbeing?' which was attended by a mixed group of stakeholders. The aim of the session was to present research and practical application related to the benefits of green and blue spaces for health and wellbeing. The talk was focussed on our project and utilising new forms of data in the aim of better quanitifiying the use of urban green space and how this could help us better understand their health benefits at the kind of scales generally not possible using more traditional types of data.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://www.rgs.org/research/annual-international-conference