As new technologies keep emerging, city planning will no longer be based on guesswork as it once was. With the help of big data and analytics, things are much easier when it comes to getting the right data for planning than before. City dwellers and by extension, all citizens are walking around with data transmitters and are using different applications that gather data on their physical movements, consumer behavior, and habits. With all these assets at their disposal, city planners can predict the potential interest and movement of people and propose how and where specific areas, for example, a grocery store, can be built with accuracy.

Data is one of the essential components that determines the success of a company regardless of the industry it operates. This is precisely the reason the transport industry is banking on it to propel its operations to the next level. One of the subsectors that has taken advantage of data is train transport that’s using it to ensure trains stay on time and operate safely. In the Netherlands for instance, big data analytics is doing an amazing job in the management of trains and railways. The country has in the past faced numerous challenges such as lateness, overheating of trains, freezing of switches and other maintenance problems.