Methods and Technologies:
To build the needed database, will rely on a data fusion approach using sources such as: Google Street View and Mapillary images to infer sidewalk width and conditions, Open Street Map for roads and foot paths, Google points of interest for amenities, building heights (from Beirut Urban Lab) and types to estimate population and employment, and field visits for verification and completion of missing data. Data will be compiled as GIS files. We may also explore using machine learning techniques to infer sidewalk attributes from images.
Field data collection will consist of detailed pedestrian counts and surveys with pedestrians. These will then be related through statistical analysis and econometric modeling to the built environment variables collected in the first stage of the project.
