A Collaboration between MIT’s Civic Data Design Lab and Gehl Institute
Inspired by the research of Danish urbanist Jan Gehl, the Civic Data Design Lab created the Benchmark project in collaboration with non-profit, Gehl Institute, to determine whether cutting-edge technology such as sensors (often referred to as the Internet of Things), and artificial intelligence could augment urban design research methodologies for measuring public life, and share that data widely. "Our research team sought to understand what spatial qualities promote active, social public spaces," asserted professor Sarah Williams, the director of the Civic Data Design Lab, whose work focuses on the intersection of data, policy, and the built environment. "We are using new technology to measure public space where researchers apply machine learning techniques to quantify urban design."
The final report on the Benchmark experiments contains detailed analysis of the development and testing of the system, as well as recommendations for civic leaders on how to improve public spaces based on the visualizations and statistics generated from Benchmark's outputs. The work would not have been possible without the support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, whose goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which they believe are essential for a healthy democracy.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL. The full report and the toolkit to make your own bench can be downloaded at http://benchmark.mit.edu/
