Big and Open Data for Transit Planning

Jiangping Zhou is Professor at the University of Hong Kong (HKU).

'Planners have long analyzed transit within catchment areas as tidy circles around stations. That convention conceals as much as it reveals, but there is better way. Jiangping Zhou shows how big and open data, used alongside traditional sources rather than in place of them, allow us to distinguish the form of transit areas from their function. Big and Open Data for Transit Planning offers a conceptual framework and a practical guide for anyone serious about integrating public transport and land use. Grounded in cases from Hong Kong to Copenhagen, this is a rigorous and unusually candid book about both the promise and the limits of new data.'Jonathan Levine, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning, University of Michigan.'This essential work provides a masterful synthesis of how Big and Open Data (BOD) revolutionizes the integration of transit and land use planning. It redefines Transit Catchment Areas through the dual lenses of physical features and functional performance. The author offers a robust and normative framework for creating sustainable and socially inclusive urban environment. It is a must-read for professionals who seek to move beyond traditional survey data and harness the potential of digital analytics.'Jiawen Yang, Professor of Urban Planning, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School.'An essential account of big open data and transit planning - examining how new forms of data can assist in the planning of new transit systems. A data driven approach to a more effective understanding of transit and vibrant cities.'Robin Hickman, Professor of University College of London.'This text offers a timely and highly accessible contribution to the transport planning literature. Adopting a data driven rethinking of transit catchment areas the book successfully bridges traditional planning with an empirical understanding of how we as everyday citizens access our urban environments. A highly recommended read for researchers and practitioners working in public transit and transport planning.'Jonathan Corcoran, Professor of the University Queensland.'Transit catchment area (TCA) is redefined and the framework for TCA planning is introduced with the existing concepts such as transit-oriented development (TOD), node-place model, third place, etc. The text then offers how to utilize the emerging big and open data (BOD) both in theory and case studies of TCA planning. Researchers and practitioners who are interested in public transport planning and TOD can learn the basics of TCA planning, and current opportunity and challenges utilizing BOD for advancing TCA planning.'Toshiyuki Yamamoto, Professor, Nagoya University.'Big and Open Data for Transit Planning rethinks the transit catchment area through two lenses — form and function — and shows what smartcard, digital maps and social-media data can reveal that surveys and censuses miss. Grounded in cases from Copenhagen to Shenzhen, it's a practical guide for planners and advocates to evidence-based transit and land-use planning.'David Levinson, University of Sydney.'Big and Open Data (BOD), as defined in this book, encompasses diverse data sources ranging from smart card records and cellular network data to street-view imagery and social media heatmaps. These data are reshaping how we understand, measure, and optimize transit catchment areas (TCAs) within transit-oriented development (TOD) frameworks. This book effectively demonstrates how BOD can enhance the understanding, measurement, and optimization of TCA performance. It provides a valuable foundation for researchers, planners, and policymakers working at the intersection of mobility, land use, and urban equity. More importantly, it inspires readers to learn, apply, and collaboratively build the future BOD infrastructure and the collective knowledge needed to create more sustainable and equitable TOD cities.'Sugie Lee, Hanyang University

• Introduction: Overview of big and open data and transit planning. 1.Transit Catchment Areas. 2.A normative framework for TCA planning. 3.Big and open data in TCA planning: Theory. 4.Traditional approaches to transit catchment area planning. 5.BOD meets transit catchment area planning: Practice. 6.Identifying and measuring features of transit catchment area. 7.Defining and measuring performance of TCAs. 8.Designing TCAs: Linking features and performance. 9. Conclusions: A future of BOD in TCA planning.