People Rarely Leave 6-Mile Circle

Posted by: Tim Halbur

22 March 2010 - 6:00am

In a study in Europe using cellphone GPS data, researchers discovered that people rarely leave a six-mile area around where they live. GPS cellphone data is being used for a host of urban planning studies like this.

The Planning Commissioners Journal looks at a handful of studies using cellphone GPS data, and discusses the merits (detailed travel information) and the drawbacks (personal privacy issues) of the technique.

"In Rome, they combined that information with GPS data from city public transportation to capture an ever-changing picture of the city's activity, from traffic jams to nightlife hotspots. The information, [MIT professor Carlo] Ratti says, 'could be useful to traffic planners, emergency planners and others.'"

Full Story: Tracking Cellphone Users Locations

Source: Planning Commissioners Journal, March 19, 2010