Satellite description
The study of urban systems has a long tradition in disciplines such as architecture, geography, civil engineering, economy and physics to name a few. However, the pervasive introduction of information technologies summed up to the recent advances in network science and complexity are opening new research opportunities in this highly multidisciplinary field. The new technologies provide citizens with the material to take more informed decisions (e.g., regarding their travel behavior, energy and resources consumption habits, etc.), as well as leading to new forms of social relationships and to the introduction of new activities such as e-shopping and teleworking. At the same time, the penetration of ICT is turning individuals into passive and/or active ‘sensors’ that produce, exchange and consume an increasing amount of information, generating a variety of heterogeneous data on citizens’ preferences and behaviors. As we move, travel, shop, etc., we leave digital footprints informing on our needs, choices and opinions. This feedback loop modifies urban dynamics, as well as opens new opportunities for understanding such dynamics and developing new approaches to the design and management of urban systems. In recent years, research on the analysis of non-conventional data sources is pervasive in academia, and also in industry and public administration. The interest in new data-driven applications and decision-making tools for infrastructure and strategic planning is growing every day in both private and public sectors.
Following a series of successful satellites organised at previous ECCS/CCS events, (UrbanNet2013 at ECCS13, CitiNet 2014 at ECCS14, UrbanNet2015 at NetSci 2015, UrbanNet2016 at CCS2016, UrbanSys17 at CCS2017, UrbanSys18 at CCS2018, UrbanSys19 at CCS2019), the objective of the UrbanNet2020 workshop is to create a space for exchanging cutting edge results and innovative ideas on how to address problems and opportunities opened in urbanscapes applying network science and complex systems methods to both conventional and non conventional data. Particular attention will be devoted to new ICT-data approaches for improving the understanding of urban mobility networks and the definition of the urban space. These focuses may include land use, activity-driven analyses, city structure, socio-economic traits and characterization of the neighborhoods to name a few. Further more, attention will be paid to ad-hoc planning and management of urban infrastructures, transportation networks, energy and tourism planning, to mention other examples.
Keywords: Urban planning, commuting, city, urban space, transportation networks, mobility, tourism, energy, smart cities, ICT, data analytics, urban modelling, urban morphology.