Using Cellphone Data to Understand Park Use

A new University of Toronto study analyzes anonymous GPS data from smartphones to track how people use and interact with green spaces.

2 minute read

January 17, 2023, 10:00 AM PST

By Clement Lau


Toronto Moss Park

Moss Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. | V. Ben / Shutterstock

Park planning has become increasingly data-driven. The use of location data from mobile devices is one of the latest trends in data-driven park planning, as previously reported in this article. Specifically, the use of such data for studies on park visitors can be more affordable and accurate than conducting in-person counts and/or surveys at parks.

In this article by Alexa Battler, researchers at the University of Toronto explain how anonymous cellphone data can help park planners to strike a better balance between the needs of people and wildlife. Their study, published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology, is among the first to use anonymous GPS data from smartphones to track how people interact with green spaces, potentially impacting biodiversity.

GPS data has been used to gauge people’s activities in green spaces before, but most of the studies have relied on volunteers signing up to have their information used, painting a limited or partial picture. For this study, researchers relied on data from Mapbox, a company that creates custom maps for major apps including Facebook, Snapchat and Uber. Users’ identities are kept anonymous while their locations are gathered every two hours. The information is typically used for marketing and business purposes, such as selecting the busiest hubs to place a new franchise.

The Mapbox data allowed researchers to track which qualities of parks attracted the most people, including recreation amenities such as picnic benches and trails, and types of land coverage such as forests and swamps.  For more information, please read the source article.

Tuesday, January 3, 2023 in University of Toronto News

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Aerial view of Albuquerque, New Mexico at sunset.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico

An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

2 hours ago - Source NM

Close-up on white bike helmet lying on pavement with blurred red bike on its side in background abd black car visible behind it.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes

Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

3 hours ago - Wood TV 8

Muni bus on red painted bus-only lane in downtown San Francisco, California.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels

Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.

4 hours ago - Mass Transit