Abstract
We introduce Instagram as a data source for use by scholars in urban studies and neighboring disciplines and propose ways to operationalize key concepts in the study of cities. These data can help shed light on segregation, the formation of subcultures, strategies of distinction, and status hierarchies in the city. Drawing on two datasets of geotagged Instagram posts from Amsterdam and Copenhagen collected over a twelve-week period, we present a proof of concept for how to explore and visualize sociospatial patterns and divisions in these two cities. We take advantage of both the social and the geographic aspects of the data, using network analysis to identify distinct groups of users and metrics of unevenness and diversity to identify socio-spatial divisions. We also discuss some of the limitations of these data and methods and suggest ways in which they can complement established quantitative and qualitative approaches in urban scholarship.
Highlights
Since its launch in 2010, Instagram has quickly become one of the most widely used social networking platforms in the world [1]
As a visual-locative social medium, Instagram can be regarded as a participatory sensing system [3,4]
Urban researchers interested in social divisions traditionally have had to choose between two options that each have considerable tradeoffs
Summary
Since its launch in 2010, Instagram has quickly become one of the most widely used social networking platforms in the world [1]. Its users produce data as they navigate their everyday lives, smartphones in hand. These data are centralized in the Instagram platform. As such, it lends itself as an unparalleled data source for social researchers. Our interest is to explore and visualize sociospatial patterns and divisions within the city. We apply these methods to two cities, Amsterdam and Copenhagen. This application is a proof of concept to demonstrate the possibilities—as well as the limitations—of these data and methods to inform the work of urban scholars
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