Parking fines, and where to find them

Abstract

Visualization is proven to be an effective way to communicate data to the readers. In Helsinki, open data on parking violation is available and updated frequently. However, the prior attempts on the dat a set, which are open to the public, do not meet the expectation with the up-to-date information.

This thesis first reviews and summarizes the knowledge on the field of information visualization. Inspired by prior works on the process of creating a computer generated visualization, a model is adapted, which include both technical aspects and human participation.

Following the process, the parking violation data in Helsinki from 2018 to 2019 is handled through pandas library, then represented as an interactive visualization on the web using D3JS and Mapbox GL JS. With the intention of making public data meaningful to each individual reader, a feature named "explorer" is built, allowing the analysis of the data in a radius around a specific location.

Through a series of optimization and evaluation with the focus on rendering performance and insight creation, the work demonstrates the capability to combine with the parking experiences of its users to bring excitement and create new knowledge.