The Data You Need: Liveability

A community that has a high level of liveability can cover a range of factors and is very closely linked to health and wellbeing. An area described as having a high level of liveability is likely to have affordable housing, efficient public transportation, and easy access to healthcare and education, access to green spaces, have cultural opportunities for its residents and a strong sense of social cohesion and inclusivity among its residents.

Our recent ‘Everybody Needs Good Neighbourhoods’ study, a collaboration between Local Trust, Shared Intelligence and OCSI, used indicators like these. 

Measuring liveability was an important part of the study, which looked to uncover how neighbourhood-based initiatives can benefit a community. You can read more about that here.

The selection of indicators below, are just a few of those that look at some of the small-area data available within Local Insight that may be useful in identifying areas experiencing poorer community wellbeing.    

All of the datasets below are available for any sized area you care about – whether that is wards, parishes or towns. Book a demo to find out more.

 

Access to Healthy Assets and Hazards (AHAH) Air quality domain

Source: Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC)

Update Frequency: Irregular

The Access to Healthy Assets and Hazards (AHAH) Air quality indicator measures accessibility in terms of the amount of air pollutants in the atmosphere that include nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter and sulphur dioxide – and there are individual indicators for each of these pollutant types available. The World Health Organisation says that “air pollution is one of the greatest environmental risks to health” – so it’s a key factor to consider when examining the overall health and quality of life of an area.

 

Travel Time to Key Services by Public Transport/Walking

Source: Department for Transport (DfT)

Update Frequency: Annually

These indicators measure the time it takes to travel to essential services and amenities by public transport or walking. They cover travel times to Further Education Institutions, GPs, Hospitals, Primary and Secondary Schools, Supermarkets, and Town Centres. These indicators can be used to highlight the connectedness and walkability of an area.

Crime Rate per 1,000 Population

Source: Police.uk

Update Frequency: Monthly

This regularly-updated indicator covers the frequency of reported crimes per 1,000 residents in a specific area, encompassing various types of offences including anti-social behaviour. The data can be used to gain a detailed understanding of local safety and security – a crucial aspect of liveability. 

 

Average Life Satisfaction Score

Source: Office for National Statistics/Annual Population Survey

Update Frequency: Annually

A higher score within this indicator signifies a greater level of life satisfaction among the community members. Updated yearly by the Office for National Statistics, Life Satisfaction Score gives us insights into the well-being and happiness of a community, making it a key measure for assessing and enhancing liveability.

 

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