Consensus clustering for urban land use analysis using cell phone network data. (16th October 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frias–Martinez, V.; Soto, V.; Sánchez, A.; Frias–Martinez, E.
• Is Part Of: International journal of ad hoc and ubiquitous computing. Volume 17:Number 1(2014)
• Page Start: 39
• Page End: 58
• Publication Date: 2014-10-16
• Subjects: consensus clustering -- urban land use -- cell phone data -- CDR -- call detail records -- spectral clustering -- mobile phone records -- mobile phones -- cell phones -- phone networks -- digital footprint -- human dynamics -- urban planning -- Madrid -- Spain -- automatic identification; Ubiquitous computing -- Periodicals; Embedded computer systems -- Periodicals; Electronic data processing -- Distributed processing -- Periodicals; Wireless communication systems -- Periodicals; Computer architecture -- Periodicals; 004.2
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1743-8225

Abstract

Pervasive large–scale infrastructures have the ability to capture individual digital footprints and, as a result, provide a new vision on human dynamics. In this context, cell phones and cell phone networks, due to its ubiquity, can be considered one of the main sensors of human behaviour. The information collected by these networks can be used to understand the dynamics of urban environments with a detail not available up to now. One of the areas that can benefit from this information is urban planning. In this paper, we present a technique for the automatic identification of land uses from the information gathered by a cell phone network. Given the inherent diversity of human activities, we use consensus clustering to identify land uses, characterising only those geographical areas with well–defined behaviours. We present and validate our results using cell phone records and official land use data collected for Madrid.