Estimating the potential number of daily visitors in urban areas. Methodical evaluation of the points of interest of open data services using the example of transport mobility in Cologne

Accurate estimates of the potential number of daily visitors are an important parameter in the planning of transportation infrastructure, allowing the development of appropriate solutions for specific planning cases. In this paper, previous methods for recording or estimating potential daily visitor volumes in urban areas in spatially differentiated analysis are extended by points of interest from open data services and supplemented by cartographic representations. The methodology addresses existing research gaps and areas for further development. For the first time, the explicit spatial contextualization of the calculated visitor volumes is addressed. The results of the calculated daily visitor volumes enable case-based planning of transport infrastructure in urban areas. Moreover, spatial visualizations of high-density hotspots can be produced to support planners lacking local knowledge. In order to critically reflect on the methodology used, the transport model of the City of Cologne serves as a benchmark for the study. Nevertheless, the relevance of the further development of the procedure is emphasized, especially with regard to the application of adequate estimates of the potential number of daily visitors.