Company
Date Published
Aug. 27, 2024
Author
CARTO Contributors
Word count
1104
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

A data storytelling project called A Million Walks in the Park was conducted using one month of nationwide GPS data from LiveRamp, focusing on public spaces specifically parks across New York City to understand social interactions among New Yorkers. The goal was to highlight the difference between raw data and information, extracting meaningful insights from noisy location data. The team demonstrated how structured data visualization can add meaning to this type of data, providing descriptive insights into foot traffic patterns, popular areas, and shared experiences in parks. By zooming in on a granular scale, they built an interactive tool to filter the data according to park characteristics, offering more detailed information on activity in smaller parks. The final section ranked parks according to their performance based on visitor count per square foot, revealing insights into the use of space throughout New York City and suggesting destinations for escaping city wear and tear or visiting well-known landmarks.