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(De)constructing health & wellbeing through data

An analytical project exploring data interdependencies and socio-spatial connections to understand how the physical environment impacts health and well-being.

This project is the result of a collaborative effort between LSE DSI, LSE Cities, the Ordnance Survey (OS) and the National Health Service (NHS England Data & Analytics team). It has the objective of exploring the different dimensions necessary to improve the mapping of spatial health inequalities in England in an integrated manner. It seeks to examine the complexity of the system involving environmental determinants of health and their relationships with geography, behaviour, and socio-economic and health groups. Understanding how these elements contribute differently to defining conditions that impact the well-being of individuals.

Ultimately, this project aims to identify gaps in spatial data and suggest areas for improvement. By doing so, it seeks to provide valuable support to academics, practitioners, designers, and policy-makers in their respective fields.

Year 1
Year 1 of the project started by exploring the intricacies of health and well-being determinants, mapping them conceptually, and developing a classification to capture the range and scale of health determinants and their factors. The second phase included the exploration of a health-related issue, air pollution, and the investigation of the complexity and challenges behind the selection of air pollution interventions to improve air quality in London. During this investigation, the use of interactive images was explored as a potential tool for translating academic literature reviews and assisting urban planners in decision-making. This project aims to illustrate that exploring the determinants and factors that influence health and well-being is crucial not only for measuring and evaluating health inequalities but also for shaping academic research and policymaking.

Year 2
During the second year the project will build on the framework developed in Year 1 to outline the need to understand and measure the value of a place, extending beyond the traditional value of space to include the sense of place. It will aim to understand how different health and well-being factors combine to shape an overarching sense of place. As by recognising that variations exist in the way individuals and communities perceive a particular space, we can gain valuable insights into the nuanced ways different factors influence health outcomes and disparities.

Consequently, it proposes to build a "neighbourhood value index" for local green areas, using a mixed-method approach, involving residents from Haringey and users of three local parks of varying scales. The development of this index will aid planners and policymakers in comprehending the role of placemaking in health inequalities and, crucially, in identifying interventions that could help reduce local disparities.

Project members

Alexandra Gomes

Alexandra Gomes - Principal Investigator
Research Fellow, LSE Cities

Sara-Luxmoore_image

Sara Luxmoore
Researcher, LSE DSI

Jeremy-Morley 200x200

Jeremy Morley - Senior Advisor and OS project manager
Chief Geospatial Scientist, Ordnance Survey

Ian Goodwin 200x200

Iain Goodwin - Senior Advisor
Strategic Development Manager for Health & Social Care, Ordnance Survey

Robert Shaw 200x200

Robert Shaw - Senior Advisor
Assistant Director of Analytics, NHS England

 

 Year 1 Researchers

Vanessa Galeano-Duque 200x200

Vanessa Galeano-Duque
Researcher, LSE DSI

Nicole Hemeryck 200x200

Nicole Hemeryck
Researcher, LSE DSI

Travis Yip 200x200

Travis Yip
Researcher, LSE DSI

 

Advisory Board Members

 

Ken-Benoit-200x200

Professor Ken Benoit
Director, LSE Data Science Institute

Philipp Rode

Dr. Philipp Rode
Executive Director, LSE Cities

Alistair-McGuire

Professor Alistair McGuire
Head of Department, LSE Department of Health Policy

 

 

LSE Research Host 
LSE Data Science Institute (LSE DSI)

Project Investigator
Alexandra Gomes, LSE Cities 
 
Project Team Members
Sara Luxmoore, LSE DSI; Vanessa Gaeleano-Duque, LSE DSI; Nicole Hemeryck, LSE DSI; Travis Yip, LSE DSI;Jeremy Morley, Ordnance Survey; Iain Goodwin, Ordnance Survey; Robert Shaw, NHS England; 
 
 
Project Collaborations
Ordnance Survey; NHS England
 
Project Funders
Ordnance Survey (OS) as part of the Public Sector Geospatial Agreement
 
Research strand
Cities, Space and Society
 
Duration
Year 1
April 2023 - March 2024
 
Year 2

April 2024-March 2025