PLuS Alliance researchers are using big data to analyse how people commute by cycling, walking, public transport and car in their respective cities (Phoenix, London and Sydney) and how this data can inform the design of more accessible, liveable and sustainable cities in future.
To chart people’s current daily commutes, they are working with data gathered from Smart transport apps and GPS, as well as Opal card use in Sydney and Oyster card use in London (cards used on public transport).
“Using big data we can look at fine scale travel behaviours and begin to understand the current state of play, and the future implications of planning policies,” says PLuS Alliance Fellow, Professor Chris Pettit from UNSW’s City Futures Research Centre.
Pettit is leading a team of five colleagues across the PLuS Alliance universities, who have received seed funding for their project, 30 minute city: Understanding the land use-transport nexus, to help tackle these issues. Each of the PLuS Alliance universities has experts in relevant, complementary areas, says Pettit: KCL leads in air quality monitoring, ASU is skilled in advanced geographic modelling while UNSW excels in housing dynamics.
