Geographical Data Products

Carol BlackwoodUKBORDERS 3rd July 2012

Key geographical products

• Key geographical data products that support census data and research:

• Digital boundary data– Digital version of geographical boundary information– Used for data visualisation and spatial analysis

• Postcode directories– Geographical lookup table that provides information about postcodes

such as the location of that postcode, ward, LSOA etc etc

Benefits of mapping census data

• Can be applied to data to add value, reveal patterns, support decisions

• Range of types of spatial analysis from simple interpretation of a map to types that require complex software

• E.g. queries, measurement, transformations and more…

edin_oa_no_heating

percent

0.000000 - 6.250000

6.250001 - 15.710000

15.710001 - 29.270000

29.270001 - 47.620000

47.620001 - 82.350000

Serving census related geographical data products to UK academia

UKBORDERS – Service aims

• to provide UK education and research with cost-effective access to digitised boundary data, ancillary look-up tables for thematic mapping and GIS operations;

• to provide high quality support and assistance to that community in the exploitation of these resources; and

• to support the development and then realisation of the ESRC national dataset strategy.

UKBORDERS – key features

• Provide easy access to census related digitised boundaries and key geographic reference data

• Web based service available 24/7, delivering to the UK academic community.

• Extensive library of boundary data and associated look-up tables

– Including: 1971, 1981, 1991 and 2001 censuses– Non-census boundaries (e.g. environmental boundaries)– Selected historical boundaries going back to 1851 (e.g. 1881 Census

Parishes)

• Access to current and historical postcode directories (1980 to present)

• Heading 1– Bullet point

• Easy Download– Quick & easy download– Most popular National

datasets– Most popular formats– Incl. 2001 LUTs and

generalised datasets

• Heading 1– Bullet point

• Boundary Data Selector

– Access to all available boundaries

– Refine area of interest– Choice of data formats

and compression options

– Map view to preview area

• Heading 1– Bullet point

• Postcode Directory Download

– Easy access to Postcode Directories

– ONSPD– NSPD– Historical

• Heading 1– Bullet point

• Postcode Data Selector

– Sub-setting tool to select postcode areas/district/sectors

– Select postcode attributes of interest

– Create custom LUTs between postcodes and boundary datasets (e.g. Datazones etc)

• Heading 1– Bullet point

• View Metadata

– Discover and view metadata for boundary datasets

– Describes data

– Allows users to gauge fitness for purpose

In addition• Help, support and training

– Comprehensive help pages– Expert support– Training through Census workshops

• eLearning Modules– To explain the relevance and value of the census geography products– Interactive learning objects explain key spatial data concepts and UK geographies

• Thematic Mapper– A Web based application that enables the creation of Choropleth thematic Maps

from uploaded CSV files containing area based statistics.– Uses OS Open Data boundaries

• DIaD– Data Integration and Dissemination demonstrator– demonstrating use of geospatial web services to perform GeoLinking and Cartogram

creation

2011 Geography Products

2011 Geography Products – England & Wales

• ONS 2011 Geography Prospectus released 31st May 2012– What geographical outputs released & when– http://bit.ly/NjVyaE

• First release of geography products in October 2012, one month prior to 2nd release of Census data

– 2011 Output Area, Lower and Middle Layer Super Output Areas– 2011 Output Area, Lower and Middle Layer Super Output Areas

population weighted centroids– 2011 Output Area to 2011 lookup files (to higher geographies and 2001

to 2011 LUTs)

• Second release of geography products in January 2013– 2011 Workplace zones (WZ)– 2011 Workplace zones population weighted centroids– Further lookup files for 2011 OAs to urban geographies

2011 Geography Products - Scotland

• National Records of Scotland (NRS) Outputs prospectus released 19th June 2012– http://bit.ly/QAabFQ

• Geography products to be released in early Spring 2013 (with 2nd release of census data)

• Digitised boundaries for output areas – Postcode to output area index– Output area to higher area index

2011 Geography Products - NI

• Not so clear…

• 1st release of statistics July 2012, 2nd Nov 2012– Subsequent releases in 2013

• Geographical boundaries in one of those releases??

Research Potential

• Enables comparison with previous Census– Although geographies change! Less than 5% OAs/SOAs expected to

change– Building up pictures of change, can be related to economic etc change

• Open data– More flexible for research– e.g. Thematic mapper potential with census data

• Updating of visualisations and online services

UKB beyond

• Will become part of the CSS-UKDS– New look– New name?– New facilities?

• Short-term no apparent change for the user– We’ll keep doing what we have been doing, providing key services and

support to academic users of Census geographies and related data