The goal of the February meeting was to discuss the topic of socioeconomic analyses related to COVID-19. Speakers from Angola, Indonesia, Mexico and the US presented on their efforts in this area and how it relates to the Vida project. There was also a discussion period after the presentations to facilitate sharing of insights and lessons learned.

Summary information for the meeting can be found here.

Please view the agenda below. Slides from each presenter are linked in the agenda.

The Space Enabled research group at the MIT Media Lab is leading a team to design decision support tools to inform public policy in response to challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This project creates a platform for collaboration between technologists to build the Vida Decision Support System, a customized online tool targeted for use by public sector officials at the city and regional level who are making policies regarding public health, the economy, or environmental management. The Vida Decision Support System helps city and regional leaders understand the relationships between important societal factors that are changing by creating models in the following areas: Public Health, Environment, Socioeconomic Impacts, Public Policy, and Disease Surveillance Technology. Vida is based on an integrated Data Visualization and Modeling Framework created by the Space Enabled research group at MIT that combines multiple data sources and creates simulations of the current or potential future states of a city or region. More background information about the Vida Decision Support System can be found here.

Agenda:

All times are in ET, post-daylights savings time

Introduction | 8:05 AM

Opening remarks from Professor Danielle Wood

Vida DSS Overview and Prototype Demonstration | 8:10 AM

An overview of the Vida framework and a demonstration of Vida DSS prototypes by Space Enabled PhD student Seamus Lombardo and Eric Ashcroft of Blue Raster

Vida Collaborator Presentations | 8:25 AM (15 minutes each)

Presentations from Vida collaborators in the following order: Indonesia, Angola, United States, and Mexico.

Presentation from the team in Indonesia

• Speaker name:  Teddy Trilaksono
• Organizational Affiliation: Universitas Prasetiya Mulya
• Presentation Title: Socioeconomic Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Indonesian Business Tourism, Case Study on Bali Island

Presentation from the team in Angola

• Speaker name: Gilson Mateus Cardoso dos Santos
• Organizational Affiliation:  GGPEN - Management Office of the National Space Program
• Presentation Title:  Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 in Angola
  

Presentation from the team in United States

• Speaker name:  Amanda Payton, Research Specialist
  
• Organizational Affiliation: East Carolina University, Department of Coastal Studies
• Presentation Title:  Detecting Potential Socioeconomic Impacts of COVD-19 in Luanda from Satellite Imagery

Presentation from the team in United States

• Speaker name:  Dr. Katlyn Turner
  
• Organizational Affiliation: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Media Lab 
  
• Presentation Title: Invisible Variables - Insights from Individuals in Greater Boston on the Socioeconomic Impacts of Social Distancing

Presentation from the team in Mexico

• Speaker name: Prof. Joaquin Salas
• Organizational Affiliation: Instituto Politécnico Nacional
• Presentation Title: Detecting Vulnerable Settlements from Satellite Images

Open Mic and Discussion | 9:40 AM

Open mic comments from attendees with socioeconomic knowledge or general conversation regarding socioeconomic analysis and Vida

Conclusion | 9:50 AM

Summary of where information can be found and closing remarks from Professor Danielle Wood.