Introduction to Big Data Applications in Geography and Planning

This chapter introduces the book ‘Big Data Applications in Geography and Planning: An Essential Companion’, which showcases applications of big data in human geography and urban planning. First we provide, as editors, some background on our own experience of dealing with big data and applied spatial modelling through various large-scale, international Government intiatives in both the UK and Australia. Then we review the big debates on using big data by focusing on three core areas and arguing that the material in the chapters of this book will make a significant contribution to each of these issues. The first debate focuses on the nature of theory building and the analytical techniques needed to process and analyse big data. We note here that all the chapters in the book discuss spatial data analysis in a big data environment. Second, we discuss issues surrounding data quality, data cleaning and data being fit for purpose. The variety of data used in the applications in the book should be a source of some consolation here to those particularly concerned with representation. If one source is heavily skewed toward a particular activity or sub-group we argue that this can be compensated by another source which has different characteristics. This is demonstrated in many chapters of the book. This discussion also considers ethics and concerns around confidentiality. Finally, but importantly, we recognise that proponents of big data still need to win over many sceptics concerning the contribution that the new data can make to traditional social science problems. How can big data supplement or even replace traditional survey data in the future? Although the literature is awash with articles discussing issues around big data we argue that there are fewer examples showcasing the contribution big data can make across many different areas of geography and planning.