NOTE Real Time Rome

— In today’s world, wireless mobile communications devices are creating new dimensions of interconnectedness between people, places, and urban infrastructure. This ubiquitous connectivity within the environment can be observed and interpreted in real-time through aggregate records collected from communication and transportation networks. The real-time acquisition can regard traces of information and communication networks, movement patterns of people and transportation systems, spatial and social usage of streets and neighbourhoods. This paper reports on the Real Time Rome project, exhibited at the 10th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice, Italy. The Real Time Rome project is the first example of an urban-wide real-time monitoring system that collects and processes data provided by telecommunications networks and transportation systems in order to understand patterns of daily life in Rome. Observing the realtime city becomes a means to understanding the present and anticipating the future urban environment3.