Mapping the urban activity patterns: using social media data as a tool for data collection and design development

Yang Song, North Dakota State University; [email protected] Jessica Fernandez, Clemson University, [email protected] Introduction

In the last few decades, the size of data has been exponentially growing. Social media, smart phones, sensors, and the internet create, copy and transform data with unprecedented speed and scale (The Economist, 2010). ‘Big data’ has never been more accessible or more powerful. A variety of industries including finance, marketing, energy, telecommunications, agricul- ture, and real estate have been adopted big data technologies to make more informed decisions and to be able to predict trends. Many social media platforms such as Yelp, TripAdvisor, and Facebook provide a large scale of information regarding behavior and perceptions associated with places and communities all over the world. Analysis of societal needs and public opinions becomes key to building a more equitable urban environment that is beneficial to a broad spectrum of people (Dobbins, 2009). However, few studies have been published in the fields of urban design and the built environment to examine the application of ‘big data’. This paper presents a case study using the so- cial media website TripAdvisor to inform the concept development of an urban design project in , Illinois. A database of all the attributes on the attractions of the TripAdvisor “things to do” category was developed. By extracting, processing, and analyzing large amounts of geocoded information in TripAdvisor, the study identified the patterns of urban activities that were pre- viously inaccessible to designers using a parametric indexing method. It also displays how data in TripAdvisor assists a better understanding of the relationship between urban environments and people, and the processes of urban transformation.

Data Collection

This study has developed a database from TripAdvisor (www.tripadvisor.com).The data focuses on the attractions in the TripAd- visor “things to do” category, excluding data on hotels, flights, and vacations rentals. For this study,1604 attraction profiles from Chi- cago,IL were collected. An example of one segment of attraction data is listed in the Table below.

In Chicago, the composition and density of urban acitivities in downtown area is significantly different with other areas. Because this heterogeneity, the attractions in the

downtown area is not inlcuded. Essanay Chicago Studios Chicago Montrose Elevated Nighthawk The Andersonville Foodways Tours Point Bird Coffee Bar Lincoln Chopping Food Chicago MagicGreen Mill Sanctuary & Tavern Square Block Tank Lounge Riviera Ravenswood O'Shaughnessy's Tours Kiss Kiss Theatre Davis Theater Public House Our Lady Cabaret The Uptown Used Books Montrose The Grafton Pub of Lourdes Kinetic Amy's Lillstreet Underground and Grill Scot's Bar Church Playground Beach Quake Candy Bar Art Center The Reservoir Old Town School Chicago Black St. Mary of Two Brothers Sailing Collectibles Architectural of Folk Music Ensemble the Lake Adventures Day Tours Half Acre Cornservatory Artifacts, Inc Profiles Theater Parish Theatre Theatre Beer Company Dovetail Embellish Chemically Holiday Wild Goose Brewery Windy City Begyle Brewing Imbalanced Club Bar & Grill Chicago Playhouse The Globe Pub Laugh Out CIC Theater Comedy HBTV Sydney R. Loud Theater - Hearty Marovitz Why Knot Chicago American The Public Soul Chicago House Theatre Boys Golf Course Fishing Charters Theater Impressions Ivy Anshe Emet Abbey Pub Timber Lanes Music Box Windy City Sailing Company Ginger Metro League Synagogue Waveland Bowl The 606 Theatre Man - Private Sails Hamsa Baseball Club The Mercury Tavern The Dugout Rooftop Club Angler Charters Ayurveda & Bulerias Theater Circuit Chicago Murphy's Bleachers Under The Chicago Yoga Tapas Bar Joe's on Sailboat Ignite Chicago River Sluggers World Gun Theater Broadway Sailing See it All Elixir Lounge Charters Revolution Gaming Canoe & Kayak Riverview Class Sports Bar Roscoe's Tavern Chicago Music Chicago BEER Johnny O' Hagan's Brewery Lounge Tavern and Dueling Pianos The Bar The Closet Exchange Tours Irish Pub & Restaurant Flanagan's Celona The Beer Blue Man Unabridged Books Late Bar Theater Wit Wake Berlin Reed's Local The Green Lady Spin Group Laugh Factory Temple We Gotta Bingo Links Hall Tony n??? Ragstock The Flagship Storytown Improv Reckless Records Tina???s Hollywood Mirror Beat Kitchen Tavern Bottle & Bottega Trapeze Atheneum Wedding Briar Avenue Tavern St. Hyacinth Theatre Chicago Lakeview Street Massage School Hopewell The Murder Mystery Envy Spa Lincoln Duffy's Tavern Basilica Brewing 404 Wine Bar Theatre New York Lost Lake Company in Chicago Trinity Park North and Grille Company The Logan Hush Salon Elbo Room Patsys Apollo Durkin's Tavern Longman & and Spa Kingston Landmark"s National Shrine Theatre Million Theater The Harding Eagle Mines Century of St. Frances Theatre on Billy Sunday Comfort Station Rose's LoungeDollar Chicago Tavern Barn & Centre Cinema Xavier Cabrini the Lake Chicago Quartet Alfred The Peggy Whirlaway Wrightwood Tap Company Remy Bumppo Logan Distilling The Whistler Logan Arcade Cook au Vin Caldwell Notebaert Lounge Kibbitznest Lincoln Hall Victory Theatre Square Company Cole's Bar Quenchers Cooking Lily Pool Nature Museum Books, Brews Derby DePaul Art Gardens Company Farmers Market Saloon Class Lion Head Pub Lincoln Park Galerie F Township Congress & Blarney Chicago Museum Theater MAXBARCHICAGO Windy City Danny's Webster's Local Option Conservatory Bloomingdale Theater Robin Richman Whirlyball Glascott's Gorggery Tour Company Tavern Rio Wine Bar Art & Science Lincoln Trail Concord Chicago Lincoln Park Sidewalk Spa La La Arts n Chicago The CryoBar South Pond Salons Monument Music Hall Trap Door Massage Spa Chicago Food Tours Team vs Time Spirits Get Me Kincade's Bar Lincoln Park Rosa's Lounge Scofflaw Floyd's Pub Theatre Aroma Workshop Oz Park Lincoln Air and of Chicago ShopWalk High Sam's Chicago The Cafe Brauer The Map Room Park Zoo Water Show Lounge The Hideout Wines Social Table North Gorilla Tango Pride Parade J. Parker Old Town Chicago SUP Lotties Pub The & Spirits Steppenwolf Avenue Theatre The Royal George Ale Castaways EscapeThe Bucktown Pub Theatre Second City Beach Southern Theater Steppenwolf Corcoran's House International Museum The Handlebar ArtistryViolet Galleria 1712 Chicago Brewery Davenport's Mission Grill and Pub Red Orchid Red Dog Hour Kayak Chicago Tours Theatre of Surgical Science Piano Bar Theater Up Down Cigar Theater Company UP Comedy ClubGraham Foundation for Exit The iO Theater Pump It Up Thomas Humboldt Park Flat Iron & Cabaret The Old Town Oil Advanced Studies in Nikki Chicago Hogs & Honeys Masters The Arts Building The Den Hypocrites ArcLight Suite Loungethe Fine Arts National Museum Wicker Park Theatre Escape Artistry Nightclub Gallery Spice Kings Bowl Cinemas Free Tours Charnley-Persky of Puerto Rican Easy Bar Red Square Urban Holy Trinity Lincoln Park House by Foot Escape House Arts and Culture Rite Liquors-Chicago Polish Church Estate The Fifty/50 The House Theatre California Healing Studio Humboldt Flight Chicago Phyllis' of Chicago Clipper Innjoy -Death House Musical Inn Dusty Groove Chicago Center Ukranian and Harry Houdini Kendall Innertown Pub Chicago College for the Allyu Spa The Mr. Brown's Institute of Polish Museum Modern Art Study Hall of America Dramatists Performing Arts Ward A. Continental Lounge The Motel Bar Ukrainian Five Star Bar St. John Cantius Montgomery St. Nicholas The Matchbox Funky Park National Beauty Bar Church Ukrainian Catholic Tarnish Buddha Museum Intuit: The Chicago Chocolate Cathedral Output Lounge Lounge Salvage One Center for Intuitive and Dessert Tour Goose Island Grand Bar The and Outsider Art Rednofive Urban Remains Beer Artistic Garfield Park Betty's Pitchfork Richard's Bar Co. Home Paddy Conservatory FliP Crepes Blue Star Music Mirror Mirror Rhine Hall lillieAnn's Massage O'Fegan's Lounge Festival Salon Underground Distillery Therapy and Skin Bad Axe & Spa Primitive Donut Tour Intelligentsia Care Spa Chicago IL Haymarket Pub Garfield Park Throwing Coffee Roasting Works Pinot's City Winery & Brewery Citicorp Center Fieldhouse Randolph Palette Massage Envy Batcolumn Street Healthy Old Our Lady Big Spa West Loop Empire Market Zu Spa St. of Sorrows The Ogden Monster Beer Cellar at Builder Oxygen SpaPatrick's Church Basilica Toys the Beer Bistro Studio Union Station Greektown Ghost Bar Union Park Chicago Hubbard National Jane Addams' Chicago Union Station Street Hellenic Hull-House UIC Pavilion Dance Museum Museum West Side Hawkeye's the bar Chicago Maxwell Ritzy Blue Grounds Bar and 10 DOORS Supernatural Street ICE Theaters Spa and Grill Provision AquaMermaid Tours Market Lawndale 10 Salon Theater Engine 18 Rotorzen Chicago Photography Chicago Fire Vice district Douglas Park Helicopters Tours by Kevin Inc O'Connell Brewing M Lounge Lagunitas St Adalbert Sip and Dog Park Brewing St Ann Chocolate For Ping Tom Glessner Church Splash L&A Company Catholic National Your Body Memorial Healing House Museum Pilsen Lagunitas Church Museum of VIP Paints Park Studio Willie Dixon's Taproom Mexican Art American Police Blues Heaven Knee Deep The Punch Redmoon Chicago Edible Center & Museum Mercy Acupuncture Foundation Arie Crown Vintage House Theater Chinatown Alchemy The Barrel Chicago Ghost and Massage Center The Prairie Avenue Theater Benito Weird Investigations Color Nine Historic District Chicago Chicago City Sights Shrine Juarez Chicago Del Cocktail Dragon Tommy McCormick Auto Show Helicopter Tour Tours Skylark Bar Plaza Toro Factory Wall Gun's Motor Row Place Chinese-American Mana Chicago Garage Brewing Monument to the Museum of Vertiport Contemporary Palmisano Great Northern Chicago Chicago Baderbrau Chicago VIP Helicopter Park Brewery Migration Helicopter Tours Experience & Tap

Maria's 31st Street Packaged Goods Harbor & Community Bar Next Level Pilgrim Sailing McCormick Baptist S.R. Crown Chicago Church Stephen A. Center Hall Maritime Douglas Tomb Victory Museum and Memorial Guaranteed Monument Chicago Water Bubbly Creek Rate Field Sport Rentals

Comiskey Park

Boat Tours & Water Sports Food & Drink Nightlife Sights & Landmarks Traveler Resources Classes & Workshops Fun & Games Other Spas & Wellness Water & Amusement Parks

Concerts & Shows Museums Outdoor Activities Tours Attraction IndexEvents Nature & Parks Shopping Transportation To expand upon the mapping observations, this study introduced an index to indicate the level of significance of each attraction. The index was calculated using a true Bayesian es- timate (“Bayes estimator,” 2017), a similar approach to how IMDB rates movie titles. The formula for calculating the attraction index is as follows:

Weighted Index (WI) = (v ÷ (v+m)) × R + (m ÷ (v+m)) × C where: R = average rating for the attraction(excellent as 5, very good as 4, average as 3,poor as 2, terrible as 1); v = number of reviews for the attraction; m = minimum reviews as rea- sonable mount (currently 10); C = the mean rating across the whole dataset including attractions less than minimum reviews (currently 4.3032960467363619). Attraction Index Attraction Index for Outdoor Activities