Assessment of the Success of Local Development Projects Based on Data From Social Networks

The complexity of the goals of regional development and the dynamics of social changes have placed on the agenda the task of expanding the composition of indicators and the set of tools used for analysis. It is necessary to overcome the excessive formalization of regional planning processes. This article provides an overview of publications on the use of data from social networks to analyze the processes important for the development of regions. This review aims to analyze the possibility of using these new tools in the development and monitoring of regional and local development programs. Publications were selected on the basis that they cover the main aspects of such development programs. The main directions for the application of data from social networks in territorial analytics are identified, as well as opportunities for involving members of the public in management processes. New sources of data have made it possible to enrich traditional tools used for the analysis and planning of territorial development. These data can be successfully used to understand the stratification of local communities and identify social problems. Identification of accessibility models and spatio-temporal models of human behavior allows architects and planners to understand how people move within an area, so as to assess the convenience of streets, urban spaces, public transport routes, and routes for pedestrians. The fact that data in social networks are constantly accumulating means that these data sources may be used to monitor and evaluate the success of local and regional socio-economic development projects. Most people use social networks, and this fact facilitates the direct participation of a large number of residents in the process of collecting and updating various data, as well as in development projects.