Transcript Mapping and Visualising Census Data

Mapping and Visualising
Census Data
Keith Cole
Jackie Carter
Geo-data forum - 4/4/2001
Overview of
presentation

Existing barriers to use

Providing integrated access to Census
Area Statistics and associated digital
boundary data over the web (Casweb)

Exploring/visualising Census Area
Statistics over the web (Descartes)

Future Developments

Demonstration
2
MIMAS and the Census
Dissemination Unit (CDU)

Manchester InforMation and Associated Services
– http://www.mimas.ac.uk/

CDU - http://census.ac.uk/cdu/
JISC/ESRC funded
CDU provides:


– Support and dissemination for 1981 and 1991 Census of
Population data
– Development of custom software tools
– Derived datasets
– Specialist support and training
– Currently ~ 3000 registered users
3
Census Area Statistics

The UK Census provides the most
comprehensive socio-economic data
source for evidence-based research

Main output is the Census Area Statistics
(SAS/LBS)
– aggregated data for a range of spatial units
– counts of persons and households
– pre-defined cross-tabulations
4
SAS/LBS tables

24 questions asked in 1991, 20,000
counts produced for area statistics
No. tables
Spatial
unit
SAS
LBS
86
99
(less detail)
(more detail)
Enumeration
district
Ward
5
Barriers to Use

Requires knowledge of the structure of
the Census Area Statistics tables and
geographical units

Registration

Use of specialist data retrieval software
(pre-Casweb)

Data handling skills to combine Census
data with boundary data in mapping
software
6
Census geography
Counties/Regions
Counties
Counties
Districts
Counties
Districts
Wards
Counties
Districts
Wards
EDs
Pre-defined Cross Tabulations
LBS table 6 – Ethnic Group
12
Casweb

Census Area Statistics on the Web http://census.ac.uk/casweb/

Features
– Intuitive web interface with 3-step
selection process
– List and map based selection options
– Outputs boundaries integrated with the
Census data
13
Casweb’s 3 step
selection process
1.
Select area - from map or a list
2.
Select
tables
3.
Select variables
from tables
14
Download data

Text format

Mappable format
– ArcView
– MapInfo MIF/MID
15
Census Area Statistics: text
format
16
Census Area Statistics:
mappable format
Unemployment – Tyne and Wear
Census data Crown copyright
Boundary data copyright Ed-Line
Consortium
17
Combining Census Area
Statistics and OS data from
Digimap
LONGBENTON
Gosforth
Census data © Crown
copyright
Boundary data © copyright
Ed-Line Consortium
WALLSEND
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE
OS data © Crown Copyright
Ordnance Survey. An EDINA
Digimap/JISC supplied
service
Heaton
Walker
Byker
Dunston
Pelaw
Felling
18
Descartes




Web based data exploration tool written
in Java
Supports visual exploration of spatially
referenced datasets (such as the Census
Area Statistics) – use the map as a
‘thinking tool’
Developed at the German National
Research Centre for Information
Technology (GMD) (Bonn)
Collaboration between GMD and MIMAS
established in 1997
19
Descartes developments

Descartes available online at
http://www.mimas.ac.uk/descartes/

Demonstrator dataset (Leics) and
county/region datasets for registered users

Casweb/Descartes Integration (CHCC
Project)
– Part of JISC 5/99 CHCC Project
– Simplified Interface to Descartes
– Temporal visualisation (1971 – 2001)
20
Demonstration

Descartes best illustrated by
demonstration

Online visualisation of
unemployment data for Tyne and
Wear
21
Further information

CDU website http://census.ac.uk/cdu/

General census information

Details of registration procedures

Search facilities

Glossary

Census Learning and Teaching Project
http://www.chcc.ac.uk/
22