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The Promise of Big Data for Cities

More data is being created from more places today than ever before. Tweets, clicks, YouTube videos, retailer loyalty cards, cell phones, even sensors on buildings are producing tons of data daily. Trends in public sector data transparency are adding even more valuable data to the mix. Due to the enormity of the volume and variety of the sources, these data are often referred to as ‘Big Data’. A recent New York Times article defined Big Data as ‘shorthand for advancing trends in technology that open the door to a new approach to understanding the world and making decisions.’ The great promise of Big Data is that it can provide us with information that enables us to understand ourselves better, make better decisions and improve our quality of life. The great challenge of Big Data is, of course, that it deprives us of privacy and allows for public and private sector intrusion in our lives. These benefits, if managed well however, are significant and have the potential to make cities much better places:

Posted by Ben Hecht

Full Story: http://www.livingcities.org/blog/?id=24

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