What is Origin-Destination mapping & what can it teach us about mobility?

Pandemics, natural disasters, and other unexpected events can have huge effects on how people get from one place to another. Such behavioural changes are often reflected in traffic data. Origin-Destination Mapping is one method used to provide dynamic insights into how widespread external anomalies impact our ability — or inability — to move around our cities. So, what is Origin-Destination Mapping and how can it inform city planners about changes in mobility?

Define: Origin-Destination Mapping

Origin-Destination Mapping (O-D Mapping) allows us to visualise geographical mobility between two set coordinates: a journey start point, and an end point. The benefits of O-D maps and surveys are that they:

• Provide detailed visualisations of travel pathways
• Track trends over time
• Allow city planners to forward-plan new transportation and infrastructure developments
• Model demand for different modes of transport

Origin-Destination Mapping can provide insight into inter-suburb mobility or less specific area-wide mobility, as well as demand for public versus private vehicles.

Origin-Destination Mapping for New South Wales, 1st to 7th March 2020

Case Study: Mobility during COVID in Sydney, Australia

Like many other cities around the globe, recent mobility trends in Sydney have deviated from the norm. Working from home, changed business hours, and social distancing measures are all impacting how residents are interacting with transport and our road networks.

The video below shows a dynamic O-D map of public and private transport across the 8th of March 2020.

Origin-Destination Mapping for Sydney, 8th March 2020

Summary

• Origin-Destination (O-D) Mapping can be used to visualise geographical journeys and how they change over time — or due to external forces.
• Dynamic O-D maps can provide insight into mobility within a specific geographical area or across broader non-specific areas.

Compass IOT is a digital transport management platform. We aggregate vehicle volume and speed data for public and private vehicles so that city planners can make more informed decisions about infrastructure projects.