  This study analyzes mobile phone data derived from 10 million daily active
users across the United States to better understand the spatio-temporal
activity patterns of users in Central Park, New York. The aim of this initial
investigation is to create quantifiable measures for understanding public space
usage in regions of the city that have no natural data source for measuring
activity. We analyze the trip behaviors of users across time and different
regions in the park to find patterns of co-location and shared time and, thus,
potential social interaction. We find that regions with established amenities
and points of interest exhibit a higher percentage of shared experiences,
indicating that institutional amenities act as 'beacons' for users' experiences
in the park.
