Unlocking new research with novel data
We successfully collected and processed over four million unique data points for the renowned Swiss think tank Avenir Suisse, leveraging advanced web-scraping algorithms and state-of-the-art visualisation tools to empower their government policy research.
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Assemble a dataset to serve as a basis for the analysis of the efficiency of different public transportation systems in Swiss, German, and Austrian cities.
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We used digital public phonebooks to obtain a representative sample of addresses for each city. We employed the Google public transportation API to find the data on the public transport connections between these addresses. Finally, we aggregated the relevant statistics for each connection, city, and country.
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The resulting data set provided over 4m unique data points to serve as a basis for the analysis. The analysis of the data was subsequently published by Avenir Suisse and was reported on by big Swiss media outlets such as the NZZ.
Objective.
A recent engagement involved a partnership with the distinguished Swiss think tank Avenir Suisse, known for their influential government policy research. An upcoming research project required a significant volume of data to be collected and analysed, posing a significant challenge due to internal resource constraints.
Thus, Brückner Data and Technology Consulting was tasked by the client to solve their problem. A comprehensive consultation phase was conducted, during which the project plan was advised on, the data requirements were jointly defined, and the optimal execution strategy was devised. This meticulous planning ensured a clear path towards the realisation of the client's objectives.
Actions.
Advanced web-scraping algorithms were deployed on public address books. Thereby, we obtained a representative population sample of where people live and work within each city. Next, we used the Google public transportation API to find the transport connections between these addresses. We extracted and summarised the relevant data for each connection, such as e.g. the overall connection time, the overall speed, or the number of transfers needed. Subsequently, we aggregated the data on a city and country level.
Result.
The work culminated in a robust dataset, encompassing over four million unique data points. Furthermore, the client was provided with interactive maps showcasing the location of all addresses in each city. This enabled Avenir Suisse to publish the report Urban Public Transportation – The Discovery of Slowness. The publication was widely reported on by the Swiss media, including inter alia the NZZ.
