Introduction

The Urban Data Management Society has organised international symposia at various locations throughout Europe since 1971, and UDMS 2013 marks its second visit to London. From its outset, UDMS has highlighted changes and trends in urban data and urban data management. However, the rate of emergence of new data and new technologies has never been as rapid as it is now. Trends including smart cities, smart phones, social media, 3D modelling, volunteered geographic information, building information modelling and the Internet of Things all generate information about the urban environment and the people who live there. Additionally the volume of data generated in part through such techniques has in turn resulted in research into ‘big data’—how best to handle the data, analyse it, visualise it in different contexts. Thus the challenges and opportunities facing those working with these New types of Urban Data are manifold. Given this, the general theme for UDMS 2013 was “Recent and Emerging Trends in the Management of New Urban Data.”