Used in conjunction with census data, new technologies for capturing and interpreting satellite imagery and tracking mobility are helping to provide a better understanding of organization patterns in Brazilian cities. In demographic studies, these technologies create new possibilities to assess the dynamics of and changes in discrete spatial areas.<\/p>\n
Antonio Miguel Vieira Monteiro, a computer scientist and engineer at the Socio-Environmental Systems Research Laboratory of the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (LISS-INPE), is leading a research group that since 1998 has been exploring new techniques and methodologies for population studies using satellite data. \u201cWe\u2019ve developed new methods to extract and interpret demographic information from satellite images capturing human activity in a given area,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
Novel technologies have opened up new possibilities for spatial analysis, says Monteiro, such as estimating population size during intercensal periods. \u201cUsing census data, we are able to translate the satellite imagery of study areas into social and economic attributes. Without the census, this type of research would be undermined,\u201d he says. Monteiro\u2019s research group also trains demographers to incorporate Earth observation methods into their routine work.<\/p>\n
Other technological developments have enabled studies on urban mobility using heterogeneous data. Mariana Giannotti, an engineer at the Geoprocessing Laboratory of the Polytechnic School at the University of S\u00e3o Paulo (POLI-USP), and a researcher at the Center for Metropolitan Studies (CEM), a FAPESP-funded Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Center (RIDC), conducted a study in collaboration with the World Bank to assess the mobility of favela<\/em> residents in S\u00e3o Paulo based on mobile-phone data collected over multiple days throughout 2016. Researchers analyzed the daily movements of 100 volunteers with georeferencing apps installed on their devices.<\/p>\n \u201cWe mapped out their origins and destinations and intersected this data with census-sector data to derive information on income and identify mobility patterns. This information can support better planning of public transportation systems,\u201d says Giannotti. \u201cWe are in a unique time with so many emerging technologies, but they cannot entirely replace census taking. Without a census, our ability to analyze large volumes of data is limited,\u201d she says. Roberto Luiz do Carmo, of IFCH-UNICAMP, concurs, adding that \u201csocial scientists are now being challenged to engage more closely with the field of informatics than they have in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n Project<\/strong>
\nCenter for Metropolitan Studies (CEM) (n\u00ba 13\/07616-7<\/a>); Grant Mechanism<\/strong> Research, Innovation, and Dissemination Centers (RIDC); Principal Investigator<\/strong> Eduardo Cesar Le\u00e3o Marques; Investment<\/strong> R$20,354,987.19.<\/p>\n