Street Sections Design Based on Real Traffic Data: Case Study of Málaga, Spain

Abstract

Knowledge of the real-time behavior of a city would encourage making decisions in urban design in a dynamic way, adapting to what the city constantly needs, without further large periodic studies. This paper proposes a system for gathering heterogeneous real-time traffic data coming from several sources of information and making decisions in urban design in a dynamic way. This innovative tool, based on new Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), allows an iterative design, surpassing classical urban planning. This methodology evaluates, diagnoses, and redesigns street sections with the aim of achieving an optimized mobility system. In case of cities without an urban mobility plan, the tool will assess the adequacy of the current street design. In cities with an urban mobility plan, the system becomes an effective tool to verify the guidelines of the plan before being applied. A prototype has been tested in Málaga, Spain, showing the feasibility and usefulness of the tool.