A Method of Visualization on Geo-tagged Social Network - A Basic Research for Open City Kousuke Kikuchi*1, Hiromu Okutsu2, Atsushi

Enta3 and Hitoshi Watanabe4

Ph.D Student, Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Japan Employee with no Title, Lifestyle Research and Design Center, Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd., Japan 3 Asistant Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Tokyo University of Science, Japan 4 Professor, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Japan
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Abstract The purpose of this thesis clarifies a methodology of analyzing and visualizing the spatio-temporal distributions of human behaviors related to daily life by using Twitter. Although a number of field study methods of human behaviors in a city, little research was related to geo-tagged social networking services. Twitter has the possibility to analyze users behavior. Two programs were fabricated: making a list of geo-tagged users, and gleaning its users data. Excel sorted the determined keywords of Verb and Object related daily life and outputted into files. In Verb, threedimensional kernel density estimation evaluated the time-space density of its Verb. In Object, kernel density estimation evaluated the density of its Object. These estimations were visualized in Voxler and Google Earth. In conclusion, this methodology indicates the locality of each area by comparison between adjacent areas or inner area. However, three limitations occurred in this method. First, unconscious bias remains because only smart phone users can embed geo-location data. Second, discontinuous history of users data disproves the human behavior. Finally, this method cannot analyze real-time. By the overcoming of these limitations, the digital research will be a tool for not only architects or urban planner but also citizens to design their city.
Keywords: Geo-Tagged Social Networking Service; Visualization; Kernel Density Estimation; Human Behavior; Open City

1. Introduction 1.1 Research Method on Human Distribution Over the past few decades, the methods on human distribution in city have been studied. To fathom human distribution, Nakamura (1971) proposed transition probability model 1) whose assumption was that human transition was evenly divided form a space to the others. Also, Watanabe (1975) added human statuses into the Nakamuras human transition probability using automaton model2). And in the United Kingdom, Hiller (1976) introduced space syntax3) 4) to evaluate the ease of mobility clarifying phase structure of its city mainly based on graph theory. These studies
*Contact Author: Kousuke Kikuchi, Ph.D Student, Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering,Waseda University, 3-4-1 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 169-8555 Japan Tel: +81-3-5286-3276 Fax: +81-3-5286-3276 E-mail: kousukekikuchi@toki.waseda.jp (The publisher will insert here: received, accepted )

have aimed at the evaluation of urban planning or architectural planning in advance. 1.2 Recent Change of Human Factor However, the rise of information technology has changed human behavior. First, searching engine enable us behave rationally. We can search the commodities we purchase or the locations we visit beforehand. In marketing, paradigm shift toward purchase model has occurred to adapt to the information society 5). Secondly, our preference has diversified since the creation of internet. According to Morikawa(2003), community of interest, the cohort of same interest in internet, has emerged our latent preference into actual6). Nonetheless, little method on city utilizing versatile human cannot collect enough data to sublate preference and behavior. 1.3 Research Methods on a City The field study methods to sublate human

versatileness and behavior have been limited because the researchers force to choose the quality of data. For example, Hayden(1995) actualized genius loci by forming the endemic image of inhabitants using oral history7). Also, caption evaluation method was developed to understand the diversity of peoples image about townscape at the workshop8)9). These attempts evaluated to complete the image of dwellers in its city using huge human resources. However, participants of interview or workshop were extremely partial and arbitrary compared to the all stakeholder in its city. In Addition, such situation should be avoided because the queer situation at interview or workshop makes these participators behave extraordinarily. Therefore, the method for all stakeholders to participate naturally is strongly required. On the other hand, using digital media can sublate the numbers and minutiae of examinees. Recently, digital ethnography analyzed human utilizing web data such as homepage, BBS, blogs and SNS11). Geo-tagged social networking services can analyze the relationship between human and city. 1.4 Proposed Method As a result, we propose to use Twitter because Twitter was thought to analyze the relation between user and city. One of the reason is that user recorded our behavior by posting. Twitters traits are following: almost its posts are related to daily life11), smart phone user can embed geo-tag, non-protected users data is available to everyone. The posts related to daily life and geo-tagged were similar to the analog methods. Consequently, the posts of Twitter user can analyze our behavior. Also, the best impact of visualizing the open data we ordinary people can access will change the politic dynamics in urban planning. 1.5 Purpose of This Thesis The purpose of this thesis is to establish the analyzing and visualizing methodology of users behavior in city. By opening to everyone, not only architects or urban planners but also citizens will provide ideas to a city. Fig. 2 illustrates the scheme of this thesis. 2. Method 2.1 Data Collection from Twitter Data collection summarized in Fig.3. Two kinds of

Fig.1. An example of Twitter

Fig.2. The scheme of this thesis

Fig.3. Summary of data collection

programs to attain the data were fabricated through Twitter API. A program made a list the geo-tagged users. The other programs gleaned each user's data consisted of User Name, Time, Tweet, Latitude and Longitude from the users list. Nine programs for attaining data had been operated because Twitter API8) permitted only 350 accesses per one hour. The author had 2,630 users and 199,546 tweets from July 19, 2010 to December 5, 2010. All geo-tagged tweets in Tokyo
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district were illustrated in Fig.4. 2.2 The Denition of Human Behavior in Twitter The authors followed same premise to analyze human behavior in Twitter as Nguyen et al(2010) that it can be observed as "Subject," "Verb" and "Object."9) We sorted the text into Verb and Object by Excel VBA. 2.3 Analyze Method on Activity Following describes the procedures of visualizing spatio-temporal distribution of each activity. Enough data on Verb to analysis on certain area permitted detailed scrutiny in Shibuya, Akihabara, Ikebukuro, Ginza, Shinjuku and Roppongi. These geo-tagged tweets were extracted into 6 verbs: Eat, Rest, Wait, Picture, Buy and Look. These keywords were determined because of the relation to the daily activity. After classifying these verbs, we visualized spatio-temporal distribution of each verb. The spatiotemporal density of keywords was calculated by three-dimensional kernel density estimation, and was visualized by Voxler, a visualization software. The functions of three-dimensional kernel density estimation described in Fig. 5. Needless to say, other keywords can be extracted likewise in this method because the keywords exist infinitely. 2.4 Analyze Method on Preference Little data on Objects to analysis on certain area allowed the visualizing only Tokyo district. Four keywords related to both preference and urban factor of human behavior were determined and extracted: "Running," "Walking," "Strolling" and "Cycling." These data were read on ArcGIS to calculate kernel density estimation and output KML format files, and visualized at Google Earth. Needless to say, other keywords can be extracted likewise in this method because the keywords exist infinitely. 3. Results 3.1 Results on Verbs In analysis on "Verb", the authors visualized the distribution of the six areas and the six keywords related to daily routine. The following describes commonly the observed or the characteristic results. Firstly, the locality of certain area can be illustrated to compare the neighboring city or adjacent area by

Fig.4. All geo-tagged tweets in Tokyo

Fig.5. The functions and parameters used in this thesis

these distributions. Fig.6 described the distribution of Shibuya. The neighboring cities of Shibuya were Harajuku, Omotesando and Ebisu. Although all distributions were extent in Shibuya, other cities had some characters. Ebisu distribution mainly consisted of Eat and Omotesando distribution mainly consisted of Rest and Shopping. Fig.7 illustrated the distribution of Akihabara. Same tendency was found in this distribution. Fig.8 visualized the distribution of Ikebukuro. Although Ikebukuro has no neighboring city, the distribution of activities was different between east and west of Ikebukuro station. These examples can infer that the locality can be detected the comparison between other cities or inner area. Secondly, spatio-temporal distribution infers the traits of users transition. Fig.9 illustrated the Picture distribution in Ginza. This transition visualized the people expanding from Yurakucho in 14:30 to 20:00,
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Fig.6. Distribution in Shibuya

Fig.7. Distribution in Akihabara

Fig.8. Distribution in Ikebukuro

Fig.9. Spatio-temporal distribution of "Photo" in Ginza

returning Yurakucho in 22:30. Thirdly, we discover that the city brand and the prices of products can determine our behavior in a city. Except Roppongi, Picture distribution was related to Shopping distribution. Fig.10,11 illustrated the Picture and Shopping distribution in Shinjuku and Roppongi. Shinjuku distribution visualized that the Picture distribution included the Shopping distribution. However, Roppongi had no Shopping area although the existence of Picture distribution. Because Roppongi had high-brand and expensive

commodities, we did not purchase the merchandises in Roppongi. Consequently, this exception indicates the relationship between city brand and human behavior. In summary, this analyzing method infers the detection of the locality in a city compare to other cities or inner city. Also, this analyzing method detects the spatio-temporal transition of users traits. Finally, we confirm the effect of the city branding on human behavior. 3.2 Results on Objects In "Object" analysis, kernel density estimation
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Fig.10. Distribution of "Photo" and "Shopping" in Shinjuku

Fig.11. Distribution of "Photo" and "Shopping" in Roppongi

calculated the evaluation in whole Tokyo area, because of little data for analyzing on each city. Following described the result distribution of four keywords. Fig.12 visualized the distribution of the four verbs. These four keywords were related to the locomotion of people. These places were assumed to rest because posting with moving was impossible. Therefore, overlapped area were related to rest. The place overlapped several activities was Asakusa, Meguro and the environs of Imperial Palace. And the places with high density of these activities were Denen-Chofu and Komazawa Park. However, little data of analyzing the Object distribution extracted only the crude place to rest. Further verification on this analyzing method is needed to actuate the definite place. 3.3 Limitations of this Methodology Three limitations were occured through the analyses. One limitation was users' bias. Only smart phone user could post with geo-information. Second limitation was that all users' behaviors were not described because users did not post their behavior to social networking services. Third limitation was that this method was not performed in real time. 4. Discussion From the mapping of Verb and Object, we verified the methodology of analyzing and visualizing

Fig.12. Distribution of four attributes

geo-tagged data from Twitter, and its trait of our behavior. Also, we indicated the effect of citys branding image on our behavior. However, this methodology can analyze with human power same as analog method. First, the keyword selection was not detected automatically. Secondly, we cannot analyze and visualize in real time. Therefore, to analyze and visualize in real time, natural language processing should be utilized to concrete the mathematical model on human behavior and city.
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5. Conclusion In this thesis, the authors clarified the methodology for visualizing our behavior by analyzing the information from geo-tagged social networking service. The comparison between adjacent cities or inner city implied the local activity. Also, we indicated the relationship between city branding and human behavior. However, three limitations occurred in this methodology. First limitation was the bias of users behavior because only smart phone user can embed location data. Second limitation was that user did not describe all their behavior to social networking services. Third limitation was that this methodology was not performed in real time. By overcoming these limitations, the digital research will be a tool for analyzing relationship between human and city. In the future, not only architects and urban planner, but also citizens will have responsibility for designing a city with digital linked data between real world and cloud society.
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