Analysis of Social Networks in Urban Planning Decisions
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/03/the-future-role-of-social-networks-in-urban-planning/
Cities have always been composed of diverse, intricately related social networks. However, the innate complexity and dynamism of the networks made collecting and tracking information on them in a reliable manner for city planners a daunting task. As such policy meant to affect a certain population would often have adverse affects on populations that were never considered related to the originally considered population. As such, planners often face a frustrating situation in which they intimately understand the nature of closely studied communities and population groups but are hesitant in taking initiative due to the unforeseeable consequences stemming from a less than comprehensive understanding of the networks connecting these groups. However, the advent of smart phones, the ubiquity of the internet, and increasing access to immense stores of data has allowed planners to form an unprecedented understanding of urban social networks.
Location Based Social Networks (LBSN) have taken a firm grip on planning practice. They provide a traceable pulse on city activity. As such planners can now view a city in real time as a single incredibly complex and dynamic social network and still make sense of it. One of the most interesting and useful applications to come from this development is the ability for planners to relate social networks that previously seemed unrelated or who’s relations were too abstract to confidently make decisions on. Now social network principles can be used to facilitate planning decisions as the networks are clearly visible.