Big Data, Data Analysis and Visualization for Decisions in the City

Big Data from the different perspective of 5 cities through their own experience.

Participating in the presentation:

• Zhaohua Guo: Senior Software Engineer CETC54, from China
• Marc Torrent Moreno: Director – Big Data Center of Excellence in Barcelona
• Anja Jutraz: Researcher – University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
• Alexey Ershov: Vice President, Smarter Cities Europe – IBM, Madrid

Zhaohua Guo

“China has an extensive smart cities program that involves more than 100 cities.” The big challenge is knowing how to manage the huge volume of information from different platforms and sectors, such as connecting and relating all that information well.”

He explains the specific case of the city of Shahekou, “where data is collected from 300,000 infrastructures and 40,000 different addresses.” “All information on infrastructures, traffic, population, companies, economies is integrated… Nearly 100 professionals are needed working every day on this project.”

He also explains the case of HooHoo, a tourism management platform in China, focused on serving tourists.

Marc Torrent Moreno

”
The big questions for companies regarding Big Data are: what, how, when, with whom.”

“The big challenges: determine the specific value of the organization; which data are interesting; what are the internal and external skills that need to be detected.

He also explained what the main activities of the Big Data Center of Excellence in Barcelona are: Technology transfer and consulting, training for university students, construction and dissemination of its Big Data program and the promotion and facilitation of synergies between all actors: tech companies, events, people, universities, public institutions, accelerators, incubators…

Anja Jutraz

She begins by making an interesting reflection on her work with Big Data through an old Chinese proverb: Tell me and I will forget, teach me and I will remember, involve me and I will understand.

She explains her work process, in which “technology is not everything. It is important to start with a division by groups: government, professionals (architects) and the public who live in the urban area. It is essential to coordinate the work and information between the groups.”

The project she directs is based on a virtual reality web platform in which citizens can operate to collaborate and contribute ideas in the urban transformation of the city of Ljubljana.

Alexey Ershov

He explained the main characteristics of a city platform created by IBM, a platform with all kinds of information, for the use of citizens. He shows real examples of it in Madrid and Bandung (Indonesia). Subsequently, he insisted on highlighting the potential of the Watson API, capable of supporting all this system.

Ramón Ferri

He explains the case of the city of Valencia based on “a platform, which receives data from multiple sensors, and the use of analysis tools.” “The platform is flexible, open, integrated and holistic.”

He explains its data levels: “Resources, data normalization, data brokering, data storage, data analysis and data visualization.”. “The platform operates in the areas of lighting, water, tourism and mobility.”