University of Brighton seeks PhD candidate to research "datafication of cycling"

The University of Brighton is seeking a PhD candidate to work on a new study which will look at how big data on cycling can be used to guide transport policy.

BikeBiz reports that the ‘datafication of cycling’ study will explore the potential of industry-collected cycling data to inform policies and planning for more sustainable transport.

Due to the increasing popularity of cycling apps, smart accessories and cycle delivery services, the amount of cycling data collected has grown enormously in recent years.

Industry-collected data is now being used to influence transport policy and planning, both by private transport consultants and by the public sector.

As an example, Strava moved into the 'big data' game with the launch of Strava Metro, which aggregates uploads to establish people’s real-world cycling preferences. It presents the information in the form of heat maps.

When Strava Metro was launched, the firm said it was licensing results to city authorities and advocacy groups, including in London and Glasgow.

An outline of the datafication of cycling project on the University of Brighton website says that the study will analyse where and how industry and public sector work together through cycling data.

It states: “It is of key importance to develop a big data perspective on cycling alongside the typical focus on motorised modes of transport, to really understand mobility patterns and bottlenecks, actual door-to-door tracks, citizens' behaviour, routes in places where cars cannot go, to model how a city could move without car traffic, etc.”