Study of the application of big data in the planning of cities and territories

Abstract

This research studies the impacts caused by the Big Data phenomenon and the new technologies it brought on the urban dynamics. Therefore, case studies and interviews with agents from both the private and public sector were chosen to better understand different perspectives on the subject: the possibilities of this technology applied to urban development, what is being done today, predicted future scenarios, the legal boundaries with the application of this technology and the cities government, the challenges to implement those technologies, how the cyberspace and the physical space interact with each other and the possibilities of new cartographies that could better represent this interaction. Although there are obstacles for this research due to the novelty of the studied subject, this same novelty and high speed that it is being developed only corroborates to the importance of academic researches on this theme, particularly ones with an urbanistic view. Furthermore, the high impact that simple technologies have on cities, as exemplified by the AirBnb case, or the construction of entire "smart cities" by technologies tycoons supports the thesis that Big Data and new technologies are aggressively changing urban areas. Therefore, this research also questions this urban impact and the role of the urban planners in this scenario. (AU)