15 Nov 2017 | 5pm | The Spatial Structure Of Cities | Dani Arribas-Bel

How we look at cities and conceptualise their spatial structure depends to a certain extent on the data available. From the spatial units we choose to how frequently we update a given view, data sources, and the methods we use to turn them into insights, mediate the process of analysis. Urban research is currently undergoing a revolution in measurement. Thanks to advances in computing, geospatial technology and connectivity, a new breed of data sources is redefining how we measure cities and, in turn, how we understand them. This talk will showcase recent examples that use new forms of data to capture, understand, and represent modern urban life. Throughout the tour, we will argue that, to make the most of new data, it is usually required to incorporate new methods designed with their specific characteristics in mind, and will spend time discussing the main challenges, methodological advances, and opportunities posed by this new generation of urban science.

Dr. Dani Arribas-Bel is Lecturer in Geographic Data Science and member of the Geographic Data Science Lab at the University of Liverpool (UK). Dani is interested in computers, cities and data. In particular, his work focuses on the spatial dimension of cities, from their physical structure to how socio-economic phenomena are spatially distributed. From a methodological standpoint, Dani is interested in incorporating new forms of data becoming available into the study of cities, as well as in computational methods such as spatial statistics and machine learning. Dani regularly teaches Geographic Data Science and Python courses at the University of Liverpool, and is member of the development team of PySAL, the Python library for spatial analysis.

He tweets @darribas