Data-driven strategies for optimal bicycle network growth

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openAccess
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
Date
2020-12-16
Major/Subject
Mcode
Degree programme
Language
en
Pages
9
Series
Royal Society Open Science, Volume 7, issue 12
Abstract
Urban transportation networks, from pavements and bicycle paths to streets and railways, provide the backbone for movement and socioeconomic life in cities. To make urban transport sustainable, cities are increasingly investing to develop their bicycle networks. However, it is yet unclear how to extend them comprehensively and effectively given a limited budget. Here we investigate the structure of bicycle networks in cities around the world, and find that they consist of hundreds of disconnected patches, even in cycling-friendly cities like Copenhagen. To connect these patches, we develop and apply data-driven, algorithmic network growth strategies, showing that small but focused investments allow to significantly increase the connectedness and directness of urban bicycle networks. We introduce two greedy algorithms to add the most critical missing links in the bicycle network focusing on connectedness, and show that they outmatch both a random approach and a baseline minimum investment strategy. Our computational approach outlines novel pathways from car-centric towards sustainable cities by taking advantage of urban data available on a city-wide scale. It is a first step towards a quantitative consolidation of bicycle infrastructure development that can become valuable for urban planners and stakeholders.
Description
| openaire: EC/H2020/952026/EU//HumanE-AI-Net
Keywords
network growth, sustainable transport, bicycle infrastructure, INFRASTRUCTURE, ROAD, OPENSTREETMAP, CITIES, SPACE, COPENHAGEN, BEHAVIOR, HEALTH, IMPACT, ROUTE
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Citation
Natera Orozco, L G, Battiston, F, Iniguez, G & Szell, M 2020, ' Data-driven strategies for optimal bicycle network growth ', Royal Society Open Science, vol. 7, no. 12, 201130 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.201130