Output Area Classification User Group - OAC » Public Sector

Cambridgeshire OAC Atlas

Daniel Lewis — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 10:56:32 +0000

In addition to the previously available Cambridgeshire Atlas that details the results of the Cambridgeshire Place Survey, the Local Authority have now released a short summary atlas specifically geared towards use of the Output Area Classification (OAC) in Cambridgeshire.

The latest Cambridgeshire Atlas displays indicators of the characteristics of local areas at a small area level. This is achieved through the use of a customer insight tool called Output Area Classification (OAC). OAC is a geodemographic tool offering socio-demographic data for local neighbourhoods. There are three levels to the classification, which includes seven supergroups, 21 groups and 52 subgroups. The Cambridgeshire Atlas displays the seven supergroups
and the 21 groups. Using the groups classification adds greater distinction to the atlas.

This is a good example of simple and clean visualisation, and hence communication, of OAC for an area.

The interaactive map can be accessed here: http://map1.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/observe/Flash/OAC/atlas.html

OAC for SASPAC users

Daniel Lewis — Thu, 20 Jan 2000 11:00:28 +0000

Users of the SASPAC software which gives access to census data statistics also have access to the Output Area Classification. SASPAC is software specifically written for the analysis and interrogation of datasets derived from the Census of Population. The development is managed by the Greater London Authority on behalf of the Local Government Association (LGA).

SASPAC program showing OAC classes

A document outlining how OAC can be accessed by SASPAC users is available [here]

OAC for Health Insight

Daniel Lewis — Sat, 01 Jan 2000 11:00:55 +0000

This example from Simon Orange, a Public Health Inforamtion Analyst for Yorkshire and Humber Public Health Observatory uses OAC to help with population health profiling, giving additional insight into small areas, and aiding mapping and visualisation of health data. Geodemographics in health allow additional help for targetting area which are subject to health inequalities. Health geodemographics have also been useful for social marketing and communication based work in health, as well as providing a useful tool for sharing anonomysed data- patients can preserve a lot of their characteristics and remain unidentifiable through OAC if used correctly. Tools such as the example below allow the generation of insight for GPs:

Profile of a GP by OAC

A copy of the presentation can be obtained either with or without notes:

[With Notes] or [Slides Only]

OAC analysis of Expenditure and Food Survey

Daniel Lewis — Sat, 01 Jan 2000 11:00:48 +0000

In this example, Gareth Powell (Senior Research Officer at the Office for National Statistics (ONS)) shows how insight can be gained by linking up OAC with ONS Household Surveys. This particular example is of the Expenditure and Food Survey which is a continuous survey of household expenditure, food consumption and income. The primary uses are to provide information about spending patterns for the Retail Price Index, and about food consumption and nutrition. Adding OAC allows for expenditure, consumption and income to be analysed for different population groups. The following graph shows some clear patterns of difference between groups:

This image comes from a presentation given by Gareth Powell in late 2008, slides from this event are available with and without notes: [With Notes] or [Slides Only]

OAC on London Profiler

Daniel Lewis — Sat, 01 Jan 2000 11:00:47 +0000

Researchers in the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis at University College London have developed a website which maps a range of public sector data for London. The website is called London Profiler and can be accessed at http://www.londonprofiler.org.

Of interest to users of the Output Area Classification is the inclusion of both the SuperGroup and SubGroup data. Additionally, they have developed their own geodemographic classification for London known as LOAC or ‘London Output Area Classification’. A further feature is the ability to add your own data in KML format onto the map. An example has been formalised using the Nestoria property search website. The website is very intuitive with an interface similar to Google Maps.

London Profiler showing OAC SuperGroups

More information about the website can be found in the following paper:

Gibin, M., Singleton, A.D., Mateos, P., Longley, P.A. (2008) Collaborative Mapping of London Using Google Maps: The LondonProfiler. CASA Working Paper 132. London: Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis.

OAC design and use from Daniel Vicker’s Thesis

Daniel Lewis — Sat, 01 Jan 2000 11:00:37 +0000

Daniel Vickers’ PhD thesis on OAC uses the classifications to explore a number of different areas, including:

• the residential zones of cities
• compare the eight core cities across the UK
• changing voting patterns in the 2001 and 2005 elections
• the Countryside Agency rural-urban classifications
• deprivation levels based on the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004
• assessing socio-economic differences against Welsh language speaking, as well as religion in Northern Ireland
• Migration levels
• Socio-economic differences across the English ‘North-South’

The thesis can be downloaded from [here]

OAC mapping for East Riding

Daniel Lewis — Sat, 01 Jan 2000 11:00:34 +0000

East Riding have created a nice map of OAC across the district, access it [here].

Section of East Riding OAC map

OAC used by South Yorkshire Police

Daniel Lewis — Sat, 01 Jan 2000 11:00:33 +0000

The South Yorkshire Police (SYP) have created a force specific version of OAC within ESRIs ArcGIS using some basic manipulation of the Cluster Names and Yorkshire-Humberside Regional Membership Data spreadsheets.

These are essentially the Output Area geography boundaries with appended OAC attribution, symbolised into super group, group and sub group definitions. Analysts can now use these new layers within their ArcGIS mapping templates as additional data sources to assist in the development of neighbourhood profiling.

They are looking to make the Cluster Photos and Spider Diagrams available as hyperlinks from ArcGIS to provide more integrated access to the original information. The OAC data has been highlighted as an excellent candidate for publication on the next phase of the SYP Intranet Mapping Service.

The OAC data is now being introduced into analytical reports to show how recorded crime and anti-social behaviour occurs and affects different members of society in different ways. It is important to try to understand why people become victims and how the police can give the best service to members of the public. OAC data can be analysed against a suite of other data sets available to our organisation.

SYP welcome any sort of exchange with other similar organisations who are looking at implementing the OAC data sets to help with their work.

Gary Birchall M.A., F.R.G.S. Crime Management Unit Analyst,
gary.birchall@southyorks.pnn.police.uk

Mark Hamilton B.Sc., M.Sc. Force G.I.S. Manager,
mark.hamilton@southyorks.pnn.police.uk

OAC used to profile Higher Education institutions

Daniel Lewis — Sat, 01 Jan 2000 11:00:32 +0000

The interaction between an Higher Education institution’s spatial location, course mix and neighbourhood tariff profile reveals a considerable amount of information about the characteristics of people who apply to study at an institution. The OAC classification is used in this example to profile a series of anonomied HE institutions in London.

The data used to create these profiles are those students who attended the institution in 2001. The data came from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). The paper also makes use of Experian’s commercial geodemographic classification “Mosaic”.

OAC Profile for students at a University in London

Full details of this case study are found in the paper:

Singleton, A.D., Davidson-Burnette, G., Longley, P. (2007) University Market Area Analysis for Widening Participation.CEBE Working Papers, 12.

For further details, please contact Alex Singleton

OAC used by Camden to profile population

Daniel Lewis — Sat, 01 Jan 2000 11:00:23 +0000

The London borough of Camden have profiled their local population using OAC. This is a very detailed report which includes mapping and local photographs to illustrate the each groups representation within Camden. Many thanks to Neil Storer for supplying the report.

The report notes that most Camden wards are quite polarised, with one or two dominant subgroups in each ward, but they do vary in their degree of polarization, especially at supergroup level. The extremes are St Pancras and Somers Town ward with 95% of residents living in supergroup 7 output areas and Frognal and Fitzjohns ward with 88% in supergroup 2. Wards where the supergroup populations are almost evenly balanced are Camden Town with Primrose Hill, Holborn and Covent Garden and Highgate. The remaining 13 wards have rather more residents in supergroup 2 or supergroup 7, but always with significant numbers in the other supergroup.

OAC map of Camden

The full report can be downloaded [here] , please be patient though as the pdf is roughly 20 megabytes in size.