ANALYSING AND VISUALISING HUMAN ACTIVITIES FROM A TIME-GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE

T. Neutens, N. Van de Weghe, P. Bogaert, Ph. De Maeyer

Ghent University, Geography Department, Ghent, Belgium

Tijs.Neutens@ugent.be

In the late 1960s, Torsten Hägerstrand introduced the conceptual framework of time geography which can be deemed an elegant tool for analysing individual movement in space and time. About a decade later, the auspicious time-geographic research has gradually lost favour, mainly due to the unavailability of robust geocomputational tools and the lack of georeferenced individual-level travel data. It was only from the early 1990’s that new GIS‑based research gave evidence of a resurgence in popularity of the field. From that time on, several researchers have steadily been publishing work at the intersection of time geography, disaggregate travel modelling, and GI-science. This paper is motivated by the belief that CAD-systems could entail new opportunities for time-geographic research for both geovisualisation and geocomputation. The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First, the paper critically reviews some issues of space-time implementations by pointing to influential contributions of time-geographic research. These implementations are primarily concerned with the operationalisation of Hägerstrand’s constructs, including, more specifically, the determination of so-called space-time accessibility measures, the representation of individual travel possibilities in a space‑time aquarium, and the expansion of time geography to represent both physical and virtual interaction. And second, it will be shown how CAD can offer new potential for the analysis and geovisualization of travel patterns in space and time. This will be illustrated using examples drawn from the authors’ recent studies.