Bike-share – Platial Analysis Lab

TRB webinar on spatiotemporal patterns of micromobility

October 6, 2021

On Oct 8th, Prof. McKenzie gave a presentation to the Transportation Research Board AMS 50 committee…

Master’s degree opportunities for 2022

September 10, 2021

The Platial Analysis Lab has funding to support two graduate students, at the Master’s level, with interest in the broad topics of either Geo-Privacy or Urban Mobility…

Chapter in new book on the urban sharing economy

August 16, 2021

Professor Grant McKenzie and colleague contributed Chapter 14 to the recently published book A Modern Guide to the Urban Sharing Economy…

A brief analysis of BIXI Montreal’s e-bikes

July 13, 2021

Trips using Montreal’s new e-bikes are longer in distance and duration than traditional, non-electric, BIXI bikes…

Animating micro-mobility trajectories

October 12, 2020

We are currently building a platform to visualize animated urban trajectories… A demo version showing 24 hours of e-scooter data in Berlin is available here…

New short paper at the MOVE++ workshop

October 10, 2019

Professor Grant McKenzie will present a short paper during the 1st ACM SIGSPATIAL International Workshop on Computing with Multifaceted Movement Data (MOVE++ 2019) in Chicago on November 5th.

Funded graduate research positions available

September 25, 2019

Interested in Shared Mobility, e-Scooters, Bike-share, or Ride-hailing? We currently have two funded graduate research position available at the Masters or PhD level…

Data Analysis: Jump’s first month in Montreal

July 26, 2019

Now that Jump bikes have been on the streets of Montreal for one month, we thought we would present some of the spatial and temporal patterns that we have observed in Jump’s user activity.

Lab secures research funding for shared-mobility research

July 24, 2019

Professor McKenzie was successful in securing funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) to assess the impact of micro-mobility services on existing mobility programs.

Recent News

What company do words keep? New paper in NAACL 2022

May 18, 2022

Report from the First Workshop on Cyber Ethics in Platial Research

April 5, 2022

Investigating ship speed on the St. Lawrence

March 28, 2022

Seeking applications for fully funded Master’s degree

March 25, 2022

PrivyTo: A privacy preserving location sharing platform

March 18, 2022

Recent Publications

McKenzie, Grant; Romm, Daniel; Zhang, Hongyu; Brunila, Mikael

PrivyTo: A privacy preserving location sharing platform Journal Article

In: Transactions in GIS, 2022.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@article{McKenzie2022,

title = {PrivyTo: A privacy preserving location sharing platform},

author = {Grant McKenzie and Daniel Romm and Hongyu Zhang and Mikael Brunila},

url = {https://grantmckenzie.com/academics/McKenzie2022_PrivyTo.pdf

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/tgis.12924},

doi = {10.1111/tgis.12924},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-05-12},

urldate = {2022-03-11},

journal = {Transactions in GIS},

publisher = {Wiley Press},

abstract = {Concern over the privacy of one's personal location is at an all-time high, yet the desire to share our lives with friends, family, and the public persists. Current methods and applications for sharing location content with the range of people in our lives are sorely lacking.  Application users are often limited to sharing a single spatial resolution with all individuals, regardless of relation, and with little control over how this content is shared.  Processes for sharing typically involve allowing a for-profit company access to your location before it can be transmitted to the intended recipient.  In this work we propose a set of design goals and a design pattern for sharing personal location information that are realized through a prototype mobile web application.  Our approach is built on the novel idea of obfuscated and encrypted location views, and promotes a uniquely open method for sharing.  The intention of this paper is to demonstrate that location sharing need not require one to expose private location information to third parties, and that methods exist to put an individual back in control of their content.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

Concern over the privacy of one's personal location is at an all-time high, yet the desire to share our lives with friends, family, and the public persists. Current methods and applications for sharing location content with the range of people in our lives are sorely lacking. Application users are often limited to sharing a single spatial resolution with all individuals, regardless of relation, and with little control over how this content is shared. Processes for sharing typically involve allowing a for-profit company access to your location before it can be transmitted to the intended recipient. In this work we propose a set of design goals and a design pattern for sharing personal location information that are realized through a prototype mobile web application. Our approach is built on the novel idea of obfuscated and encrypted location views, and promotes a uniquely open method for sharing. The intention of this paper is to demonstrate that location sharing need not require one to expose private location information to third parties, and that methods exist to put an individual back in control of their content.

https://grantmckenzie.com/academics/McKenzie2022_PrivyTo.pdf
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/tgis.12924
doi:10.1111/tgis.12924

Zhang, Hongyu; McKenzie, Grant

Rehumanize geoprivacy: From disclosure control to human perception Journal Article

In: GeoJournal, 2022.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@article{Zhang2022,

title = {Rehumanize geoprivacy: From disclosure control to human perception},

author = {Hongyu Zhang and Grant McKenzie},

doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-022-10598-4},

year  = {2022},

date = {2022-02-16},

urldate = {2022-01-31},

journal = {GeoJournal},

publisher = {Springer},

abstract = {Traditional boundaries between people are vanishing due to the rise of Internet of Things technology. Our smart devices keep us connected to the world, but also monitor our daily lives through an unprecedented amount data collection. As a result, defining privacy has become more complicated. Individuals want to leverage new technology (e.g., making friends through sharing private experiences) and also avoid unwanted consequences (e.g., targeted advertising).  In the age of ubiquitous digital content, geoprivacy is unique because concerns in this area are constantly changing and context-dependent. Multiple factors influence people’s location disclosure decisions, including time, culture, demographics, spatial granularity, and trust. Existing research primarily focuses on the computational efforts of protecting  geoprivacy, while the variation of geoprivacy perceptions has yet to receive adequate attention in the data science literature. In this work, we explore geoprivacy from a cognate-based perspective and tackle our changing perception of the concept from multiple angles. Our objectives are to rehumanize this field from contextual, cultural, and economic dimensions and highlight the uniqueness of geodata under the broad topic of privacy. It is essential that we understand the spatial variations of geoprivacy perceptions in the era of big data. Masking geographic coordinates can no longer fully anonymize spatial data, and targeted geoprivacy protection needs to be further investigated to improve user experience.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

Traditional boundaries between people are vanishing due to the rise of Internet of Things technology. Our smart devices keep us connected to the world, but also monitor our daily lives through an unprecedented amount data collection. As a result, defining privacy has become more complicated. Individuals want to leverage new technology (e.g., making friends through sharing private experiences) and also avoid unwanted consequences (e.g., targeted advertising). In the age of ubiquitous digital content, geoprivacy is unique because concerns in this area are constantly changing and context-dependent. Multiple factors influence people’s location disclosure decisions, including time, culture, demographics, spatial granularity, and trust. Existing research primarily focuses on the computational efforts of protecting geoprivacy, while the variation of geoprivacy perceptions has yet to receive adequate attention in the data science literature. In this work, we explore geoprivacy from a cognate-based perspective and tackle our changing perception of the concept from multiple angles. Our objectives are to rehumanize this field from contextual, cultural, and economic dimensions and highlight the uniqueness of geodata under the broad topic of privacy. It is essential that we understand the spatial variations of geoprivacy perceptions in the era of big data. Masking geographic coordinates can no longer fully anonymize spatial data, and targeted geoprivacy protection needs to be further investigated to improve user experience.

doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10708-022-10598-4

McKenzie, Grant; Mwenda, Kevin

Identifying regional variation in place visit behavior during a global pandemic Journal Article

In: Journal of Spatial Information Science, vol. 2021, no. 23, pp. 95-124, 2021.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@article{McKenzie2021c,

title = {Identifying regional variation in place visit behavior during a global pandemic},

author = {Grant McKenzie and Kevin Mwenda},

doi = {10.5311/JOSIS.2021.23.170},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-12-24},

urldate = {2021-11-11},

journal = {Journal of Spatial Information Science},

volume = {2021},

number = {23},

pages = {95-124},

abstract = {The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 2019 lead to a global pandemic that altered the activity behavior of most people on our planet.  While government regulations and public concern modified visitation patterns to places of interest, little research has examined the nuanced changes in the length of time someone spends at a place, nor the regional variability of these changes. In this work, we examine place visit duration in four major U.S. cities, identify which place types saw the largest and smallest changes, and quantify variation between cities.  Furthermore, we identify socio-economic and demographic factors that contribute to changes in visit duration and demonstrate the varying influence of these factors by region.  The results of our analysis indicate that the pandemic's impact on visiting behavior varies between cities, though there are commonalities found in certain types of places.  Our findings suggest that places of interest within lower income communities experienced less change in visit duration than others.  An increase in the percentage of younger, Black or Hispanic populations within a community also resulted in a smaller decrease in visit duration than in other communities.   These findings offer insight into the factors that contribute to changes in visiting behavior and the resilience of communities to a global pandemic.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {article}

}

The emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 2019 lead to a global pandemic that altered the activity behavior of most people on our planet. While government regulations and public concern modified visitation patterns to places of interest, little research has examined the nuanced changes in the length of time someone spends at a place, nor the regional variability of these changes. In this work, we examine place visit duration in four major U.S. cities, identify which place types saw the largest and smallest changes, and quantify variation between cities. Furthermore, we identify socio-economic and demographic factors that contribute to changes in visit duration and demonstrate the varying influence of these factors by region. The results of our analysis indicate that the pandemic's impact on visiting behavior varies between cities, though there are commonalities found in certain types of places. Our findings suggest that places of interest within lower income communities experienced less change in visit duration than others. An increase in the percentage of younger, Black or Hispanic populations within a community also resulted in a smaller decrease in visit duration than in other communities. These findings offer insight into the factors that contribute to changes in visiting behavior and the resilience of communities to a global pandemic.

doi:10.5311/JOSIS.2021.23.170

Romm, Daniel; Zhang, Hongyu; Verma, Priyanka; McKenzie, Grant; Chen, Emily

"Data Horror": Mapping (Spatial) Data Privacy Violations onto a Cognitive Account of Horror Inproceedings

In: Proceedings of the Second Spatial Data Science Symposium , 2021.

Abstract | Links | BibTeX

@inproceedings{Romm2021,

title = {"Data Horror": Mapping (Spatial) Data Privacy Violations onto a Cognitive Account of Horror},

author = {Daniel Romm and Hongyu Zhang and Priyanka Verma and Grant McKenzie and Emily Chen},

url = {https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7902g5hh},

doi = {10.25436/E23S3T},

year  = {2021},

date = {2021-12-01},

urldate = {2021-12-13},

booktitle = {Proceedings of the Second Spatial Data Science Symposium },

series = {Spatial Data Science Symposium 2021 Short Paper Proceedings},

abstract = {While spatial data privacy is not a new concern, recent information technology developments that allow for the increased collection and alternative use of spatial data have brought the discussion about geoprivacy back in focus. In this work, we draw a parallel between a conceptualization of horror based on work from cognitive scientists and philosophers, and the intrusiveness of current data collection methods, the unauthorized use of this data, and the transgressions made by data stewards. By drawing this connection, we discuss the familiar topic of data privacy through a novel lens that clarifies the importance of data privacy and elucidates the particular importance of geoprivacy.},

keywords = {},

pubstate = {published},

tppubtype = {inproceedings}

}

While spatial data privacy is not a new concern, recent information technology developments that allow for the increased collection and alternative use of spatial data have brought the discussion about geoprivacy back in focus. In this work, we draw a parallel between a conceptualization of horror based on work from cognitive scientists and philosophers, and the intrusiveness of current data collection methods, the unauthorized use of this data, and the transgressions made by data stewards. By drawing this connection, we discuss the familiar topic of data privacy through a novel lens that clarifies the importance of data privacy and elucidates the particular importance of geoprivacy.

https://escholarship.org/uc/item/7902g5hh
doi:10.25436/E23S3T

PRESS & PRESENTATIONS

Photographs


	
    
		
    
        
            We are happy to announce that the lab was just awa
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            Today we are soft launching #privyto, a personal l
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            In a new piece published in GeoJournal this week, 
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            It's not all data science and geography in the Pla
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            Welcome, Priyanka and Elodie!
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            The Platial Analysis Lab is currently accepting ap
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            New mousepads means students are back in the #plat
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            A brief analysis of @biximontreal 's new #ebikes f
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            New paper measuring regional similarity through mo
            	                    
        
    

    
        
            Campus Fridays
            	                    
        
    
    

	

			
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Congratulations to @mikaelbrunila on his forthcoming paper in #NAACL2022. Read a quick summary of the paper in the… https://t.co/LugVzQzHsJ2 days

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Happy to finally see this #privyto paper published and we are looking forward to presenting this work at this year'… https://t.co/XB34cwLXRn1 week

RT @mikaelbrunila: in what's surely the *least* technical paper at the upcoming #NAACL conference this summer, me and @jack_laviolette will…1 month

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