1. URBAN AUDIT II - UNITED KINGDOM STATE OF THE ART
Shaun Flanagan
Regional & Local Statistics Division

2. OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION
Organisational structure
Progress to date
Selected cities
Issues to consider
Questions

3. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

4. PROGRESS TO DATE
Chosen and agreed 14 large cities & 10 medium sized cities
Written to the cities to explain project
Organised a seminar in London, invited cities and London Borough’s to:
Further explain project and milestones
Discuss variables
Discuss spatial units

6. PROGRESS TO DATE
16/23 (exc London) Cities have proposed LUZ’s, (based on administrative boundaries (NUTS3/4))
London issues
ONS has nearly finished identifying variables that are available centrally, from:
ONS and other central government departments
Devolved Administrations (Scotland, Wales, N Ireland)
Other similar projects (e.g. Urban White paper)

7. PROGRESS TO DATE
Asked other central government departments to provide information and advice
Near final list of variables sent to cities, to classify non-central variables into A, B & C
Issued News Release to announce project
Recruited member of staff specifically for project

8. ISSUE 1: CENSUS DATA & TIMING
NUTS4 level Census Key Statistics to be published 13 February 2003
Below NUTS4 to be published in 2nd quarter 2003
Therefore unlikely to be able to analyse/aggregate to UAII geographies until May/June 2003
However, it does not make sense to try to use other data earlier for many variables

9. ISSUE 2: CENSUS DATA & GEOGRAPHY
Census results for sub-district level (sub-NUTS4) will use 2003 boundaries, although data relates to 2001
This may impact on comparability with some other sub-city (ward) statistics, which are available for 1998 boundaries
Will also affect LUZ if NUTS4 groups not used as building blocks
Methods being developed to re-estimate to different boundaries as part of Neighbourhood Statistics requirements, but will not be ready until mid-2003

10. ISSUE 3: OVERLAP/LINKS WITH OTHER PROJECTS
Other internal UK projects:
Town & City Indicators Database
Definition of Urban and Rural Areas Project
Travel To Work Areas
International initiatives:
OECD work on typology of areas, based on NUTS areas for EU countries

11. “DEFINITIONS TASK FORCE”
AND FINALLY …….
“DEFINITIONS TASK FORCE”
Finland
France
Germany
Netherlands
United Kingdom
Meeting 4 December 2002, Taj Mahal, Luxembourg

12. Any Questions?