• 2006
• Cartographic Map
• Exhibit map

The prevalence of cell phone use in Milan creates a way to estimate population movement in the city. Maps created from this data allow us to answer questions about where people congregate, for how long, and at what time of day. They show how people interact with the physical environment of the city. Our research team developed a partnership with Vodafone, one of the largest European cell phone companies, to map this activity. Raw cell phone data for 2004-2005 is mapped here for Milan illustrating urban dynamics that has been never been accessible to policy experts at this level of detail. The hourly population estimates provide urban planners with an enhanced view of the City. They provide infrastructure planners with a way to infer urban density, and therefore, create better plans for public transport or roadway restrictions. City managers can use this realtime activity data to help create plans during emergency events. Urban designers can identify “good” spaces as it illustrates where people like to congregate. The triangulation techniques established to create these maps can be used to infer population data for developing countries where citizens use cell phones on a daily basis.