ABSTRACT / Life quality in cities is deeply related to the mobility options, and how easily one can access different services and attractions. The pedestrian infrastructure network provides the backbone for social life in cities. While there are many approaches to quantify life quality, most do not take specifically into account the walkability of the city, and rather offer a city-wide measure. Here we develop a data-driven, network-based method to quantify the liveability of a city. We introduce a life quality index based on pedestrian accessibility to amenities and services, safety and environmental variables. Our computational approach outlines novel ways to measure life quality on a more granular scale, which can become valuable for urban planners, city officials and stakeholders. We apply data-driven methods to Budapest, but as having an emphasis on the online and easily available quantitative data, the methods can be generalized and applied to any city.
BIO / Luis Natera is a Ph.D. candidate in Network Science at the Department of Network and Data Science at Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. His research revolves around urban mobility in multiplex urban networks, bridging urban planning and complex systems. Currently, he is working on the application of network science methods for sustainable urban mobility. Luis has experience working in academic, government and private sectors.