Dr. Rita Borgo on navigating urban challenges with visual analytics and a human-centered approach

Dr. Rita Borgo is the Head of the Human Centred Computing group (HCC) and an Academic Partner at the Centre for Urban Science and Progress London (CUSP London) at King’s College London where she specializes in data visualization, visual analytics, and urban informatics. This summer, she’s serving as a visiting faculty researcher at the Center for Urban Science + Progress (CUSP) at NYU Tandon in Brooklyn in extension of CUSP and CUSP London’s ongoing collaborations. 

Research produced by the HCC group is characterized by its focus on integrating humans not just in the loop, but as part of the loop. Solutions are developed to support users’ analytical processes and adapt uniquely to each individual. When collaborating with domain experts rather than the general public, tools can evolve into more sophisticated forms. 

“When a user becomes more familiar with a tool, the tool can increase in complexity and allow for a wider range of analysis and support more complex reasoning,” said Borgo. 

Borgo’s collaboration with CUSP in New York City is longstanding. In 2016, she directed the second edition of the Global Data Dive. This annual event brings together students from CUSP at NYU Tandon, CUSP London, and University College London to tackle urban-related challenges through urban science. Despite the differences in size, Borgo observed that London and New York face many similar urban challenges such as crime prevention and sustainability in transportation. 

Optimizing visual analytics for climate data

Borgo and her HCC colleagues recently lent their expertise to a European consortium focused on sustainability and climate change. Remote sensing sensors employed by the consortium had varying ranges of information capture ranges, complicating data comparisons. To address this, her team developed an analytical tool that manages data with a wide range of magnitudes, preventing small numbers from disappearing when plotted alongside larger data points. 

“We developed representations that help visualize data at different scales without losing small frequencies when compared to high frequencies,” said Borgo.“This involved developing different types of color encodings — literally, color scales — up to the frequency of the data. At the same time, we had to match our perception abilities to make sure that differences were noticeable. We couldn’t use a normal color scale; we had to develop a completely different type of color scale and approach to color mapping. We also developed glyph-based representations to visually map the changes in magnitudes.”

Exploring intersections of urban data, neuroscience, and accessibility

Borgo emphasized the importance of co-creation and co-design in her work through interviews and focus groups. Two recent collaborations undertaken by the HCC group include the production of a dataset on brain activities in urban spaces and an initiative that aims to improve the lives of those with aphasia, a  language disorder. For the former, titled Mindscape, Borgo and artist-in-residence Maria Teresa Ortoleva used the noninvasive EEG device Muse to map participants’ states of mind during everyday activities in the city. 

“[Ortoleva] converted data into a tangible form to show people the difference, to give them a physical idea of their mental status in different contexts,” said Borgo. “Participants could also see how different activities and environmental settings, such as working in a park rather than being on the tube, could affect their mental states.”

The second project, led by HCC member Dr. Timothy Neate, explores the use of glyph-based designs within wearable devices to enhance communication assistance for people with aphasia. Those diagnosed with aphasia may experience difficulty speaking, reading, and writing, which significantly impacts their ability to communicate especially in public spaces. As part of the research collaboration, Neate volunteered with a non-profit organization partner to better understand the context and needs of those with aphasia.

“[Neate] would like to work on other ways of encoding information — maybe icons or shortening the text — to make communication more effective,” said Borgo. “A person could use a smartphone app to display what they are looking or asking for on a smart badge. I’m really excited about this work to improve accessibility.” 

Preparing for the future: ownership and privacy in urban data

Borgo underscored the importance of students understanding ownership and privacy. “When dealing with urban data, we are dealing with sensitive problems,” said Borgo. “We are also dealing — especially when it's human-centered computing — with individuals. If too much information is being published, an identity can be easily unveiled or de-anonymized through triangulation. Sharing data is going to become more challenging as we progress if we want to maintain privacy.” 

As data increases exponentially, Borgo advocates leveraging AI and active learning to support mining of information. “Humans have a big role to play. When we think about urban science and all the challenges in terms of sustainability and accessibility, we are in a position where we can, I hope, influence the designs of cities and city services to better serve people.”