Socio-spatial dialogues in the city: Tracing spatial mobilities, social engagement and integration using big data

Novel big data sources for integration research and practice.

International migration has reached record highs in recent years. Movement of people from their familiar community to a foreign place and culture creates challenges for both migrants and host communities. The need to alleviate possible tensions and support migrants to realize their potentials puts the operationalization of current integration policies under pressure and urges researchers to strive for a better understanding of intergroup relations.

Integration is widely studied from various angles such as civic and political participation, education and labour market outcomes. Scientists concerned with the spatial aspects of integration have mainly focused on residential segregation and neighbourhood effects. Yet, meaningful social encounters and interactions take place in the extent of individuals’ entire activity spaces – places they visit for work, education, shopping, services, socialising and leisure. However, not much is known about those activities and interactions due to the lack of suitable data and methods. This PhD project argues that user-generated digital data derived from mobile phones and social media platforms have the potential to narrow this gap by providing a more nuanced understanding of individuals’ complex social interactions in space and time, and therefore, open new avenues for integration research.

This PhD project aims to seek how novel Big Data sources can be applied to obtain more comprehensive understanding about socio-spatial interactions of individuals across their activity spaces, and consequently provide new insights for integration research and practice.

Particularly, the project provides:

  1. a critical review on the applicability of novel big data approaches in investigating socio-spatial interactions across people's activity spaces in the context of segregation research;
  2. new empirical understanding about individuals’ spatial integration-isolation by investigating their social interactions throughout their activity spaces based on mobile phone and social media data;
  3. policy-relevant information about socio-spatial integration processes in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

PEOPLE

(Doctoral Researcher)

(Supervisor, Academy Research Fellow)

(Supervisor, Professor of Geoinformatics)

(Supervisor, Professor of Urban and Population Geography)

PUBLICATIONS

  • Müürisepp, K., Järv, O., Sjöblom, F., Toger, M., & Östh, J. (2023). . Applied Geography.

  • Müürisepp, K., Järv, O., Tammaru, T., & Toivonen, T. (2022). . Frontiers in Sustainable Cities.

  • Järv, O., Tominga, A., Müürisepp, K., & Silm, S. (2021). . Journal of Location Based Services.

  • Müürisepp, K., & Ramos Lobato, I. (2021). . Sustainability Course [MOOC]. Chapter in Thematic Module F: Urban and peri-urban development.

  • Järv, O., & Müürisepp, K. (2021). . Elo. Suomalais-virolainen kulttuurilehti, 2021(2), 12-15. (Translated title of the contribution: Estonians in Finland – transnationalism, multi-local living and corona crisis).

  • Järv, O., & Müürisepp, K. (2020). . In A. Masso, K. Tiidenberg, & A. Siibak (Eds.), Kuidas mõista andmestunud maailma? Metodoloogiline teejuht (pp. 597-621). (Gigantum Humeris). TLÜ Kirjastus, Tallinn University Press. (Translated title of the contribution: Socio-spatial analysis of social media data).

FUNDING

The project has received funding from:

  • (2018-2023): "Socio-spatial dialogues in the city: Tracing spatial mobilities, social engagement and integration using big data"
  • (2022-2023): "Spatial integration or isolation? Everyday mobility across neighbourhoods in Helsinki based on mobile phone data"