How Urban Planners Use Data to Improve China's Cities

Urban planning goes beyond engineering and logistics. It’s part of a complex system of public service and regulation. Government regulation and monitoring is supposed to provide stability, safety and structure for citizens. Urban planners add comfort. To make cities more humane, tolerant and welcoming, planners strive to understand a city’s residents and its culture. Sometimes, you need data for a comprehensive understanding. A casual observer might think that Beijing has more hair salons and foot massage parlors than Shanghai or other large cities and draw the conclusion that Beijingers do their hair more often and pamper themselves more. But the data don’t confirm that conclusion. Instead, Beijing merely seems to have more of those services because they have less of other services that are common in cities like Shanghai. Beijing has, for example, fewer convenience stores and breakfast shops because the city’s government agencies, universities and military courtyards have their own cafeterias. It’s actually the ratio of hair salons and beauty parlors to convenience stores that’s higher...