SpaceTraces
SpaceTraces interprets urban geo-data through spatial analyses, visualizations and simulation models
SpaceTraces expertise is focused on understanding and analyzing urban dynamics and public spaces. We make use of available sources to design novel data-driven methods to facilitate decision-making processes within cities.
Quality geospatial analysis are essential for policy and decision makers to best target their resources and to plan future interventions. We support local authorities and urban planners to identify new possibilities by upgrading data into information.
«Decision about cities are complex, involving in most cases trade-offs. Nevertheless, the wealth of data, linked to adequate methods and tools, allow to reveal new insights and to become better informed about these trade-offs.» Longley et al. (2015b)
«Understanding complex urban systems requires using transdisciplinary approaches to turn data into knowledge and then into policy and societal action.» Hodson 2018
SpaceTraces Approach
We offer one to one consultation to deliver tailored solutions to our clients. We deep dive in your case and design a pragmatic and coherent action plan based on the following pillars:
APPLIED
RESEARCH
Exploratory phase to make the project context-specific.
This exploration phase normally includes market research, exploration of other studies and literature review about new methods and tools
STAKEHOLDER
MANAGEMENT
Stakeholders who might have an influence on the project are contacted and embedded in the creation process of our plan of action. We use their input as an extra source of information.
GEOGRAPHICAL
INFORMATION
SYSTEMS
[GIS] tools
We use GIS as our go-to and support tool to combine several data sources and to get new insights about the topic
The result of this approach is the emergence of a personalised action plan that leads to reach an optimal solution for the project.
Why spatial data?
The rise of new forms of geocoded and time stamped data and the availability of open data offernew opportunities to create innovative value - added solutions. We use maps because they provide a quick and efficient understanding of complex situations.
Our services
Our proposed solution comprises, in most cases, a combination of several services and methods:
01
Consultation
& Research-based reports
We love to talk!
We organise brainstorm and orientation sessions about potential future projects or services you want to launch or work on. We also provide our clients with an (easy to go through) document which includes the main findings and our advice.
02
Data Collection
& Data management
This is a crucial phase when developing a project. We can also support your organisation exclusively at this stage.
Our services here range from designing an adequate data collection strategy, to enriching the project datasets with other datasets from public sources such as the BGT or CBS. Other examples include processing and visualising the data collected from GPS devices or tracking apps or digitising location-based data from surveys.
03
Methodology
& Action Plan Design
We design the action plan based on the research report and the data collection phases. We determine the steps we will follow to meet the project objectives or we will guide you through them.
04
Testing & Prototyping
During this phase, we develop and test the methods proposed in the previous phases. We conceptualise and prototype the product or service and validate the results (quantitatively and /or qualitatively). We organise feedback sessions with the client to assure the project is on-track.
Examples of analyses we perform are: network calculations to optimize travelling times, urban simulations (agent-based models) that allow to propose “what-if” scenarios, developing algorithms to determine the available space, or analysing the street network morphology using SpaceSyntax.
05
Automation
This service applies when the prototyping phase has been successful. It is applied when up scaling the methods to a bigger geographical area (for instance, from the neighborhood level to a city level). It normally requires to re-adapt the scripts.We can also support you and your team exclusively with automising a specific process you might be working on.
06
End-Product
We care about the communication and dissemination of the results. For this reason, we always look for the best way of sharing them. Sometimes the most adequate format is an interactive dashboard or appealing story-telling maps, whereas some other times it is more efficient to share them in their raw data format (.csv, geojson, shape files...) or through static PDF'S.
We are versatile and able to adapt!