Inequalities may accumulate and are influenced by the structural and institutional context and policy implementation at the local, regional and national level. Furthermore, individuals are inherently embedded in a sum of natural and artificial elements that determine their development and influence their life course. Such geographical disparities can also play a role in deepening social inequalities. To understand this geographical complexity, Mapineq is compiling a geo-linked inequality database called it: Mapineq Link.
Over the past few months, we have released two reports, which represent two significant steps towards its realisation:
The first report unveils phase 1 – geospatial social and economic policy database. These phase covers structural and policy indicators for (1) family, (2) education, (3) labour market and employment, (4) retirement and pension, (5) earnings and income, (6) migration and language, (7) housing, (8) health, (9) deprivation, poverty, crime; and (10) demographics.
The second report features phase 2 – physical environmental geo-linked indicators, covering environmental aspects such as buildings, road networks, housing, pollution, flood risk, light, temperature. Our environmental database section contains four data geo-spatial types: (1) point, (2) line, (3) raster, and (4) polygon across five thematic modules: (1) earth and natural landscape, (2) built landscape, (3) administrative boundaries, (4) climate and environment; and (5) socio- economic indicators.
Phase 3 – to be released in spring 2024 – will include innovative socio-economic indicators from commercial and unconventional sources (e.g. housing and rental prices).
Mapineq Link is designed to empower researchers to study and address the effects of the interplay of natural and human environments on inequalities over the life course. Data can be accessed programmatically via an API and explored using an interactive dashboard – ensuring a user-friendly and accessible experience (forthcoming).
Part of this article is based on this post, first published on the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science.