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Defining Indicators and Relevant Geospatial Data Sets
Sirovatka et al (2011) make a number of points as well as note the dangers that may accompany a duality of public/private roles in the provision of social services. The points include what is and what is not a social service and secondly that there are inherent dangers that provision by different sectors or organisations may ‘overlap.’
These points can be extended by noting that there are demographic changes that have taken place within communities, and these may suggest changes since the latest data was collected. In terms of indicators, it will be necessary to identify the potential beneficiaries of social services, for example numbers of elderly and relative incomes, numbers of children and relative family incomes, numbers of single parents and relative numbers who receive welfare benefits as well as distances from proposed placement of the social services provisions. These points are important, so it would be necessary to approach the issue in terms of streets and catchment areas relative to the other variables mentioned.
IATP (2011) make the point that “Ambitious and visionary strategies are essential to change radically current mobility patterns,” but unfortunately whilst this is a grand and worthy aim, deciding where and which type of mass transit system will be most beneficial in urban areas is necessary before such ambitions can be realistically achieved.
For example, the indicators would have to include population density, areas of congestions, car ownership as well as proposed costs relative to, for example, gas. Population areas would have to be defined by actuality rather than by some bureaucratic or other artificial definition. A further variable would be distances travelled to work by the currently working population and propensity to change if the mass transit system were to be built.
It can be argued that the notion of being unemployed is a function of Keynesian Welfarism inasmuch as before governments decided to pay benefits to unemployed people, people were relatively under-employed, employed or, indeed, destitute. Therefore, the extent of unemployment may have a relationship with relative state generosity in terms of welfare payments (some European nations, with their consistently high levels of unemployment may suggest some evidence of this).
So measurement can be a complex and subjective issue. For example, if we measure all of those collecting unemployment payments, it may be inaccurate because some people claiming may not wish to work, and if you do not wish to work, how can you be unemployed? Therefore, a measure of those willing to work but unable to find employment may be a more accurate measure.
An open space is very much a public good in the sense that unless some philanthropical and very rich person decides that they want to provide it for every person at no cost, it must be provided through taxation. If we assume that it should be equally available to every person, regardless of their relative tax contributions, then it comes down to population densities compared to willingness to travel and the cost of the land. On the other hand, consideration must be given as to which groups should benefit most, for example younger or older children, old people and/or families? If we assume that there should be equal utility, how can that be apportioned and access assured?
Thus it would be necessary to ascertain relative population densities, alternative open spaces that are available, and demographic profiles.
Endangered Species.com inform us that it is the rapid rather than gradual loss of habitats which causes the most danger to individual species, therefore the loss of natural habitats to human encroachment has become a pressing issue. However, if there is a general acceptance by society that some habitats must regretfully be sacrificed, how can we determine which choices will cause the least environmental damage? In order to do this, we would need to obtain survey data on animal populations and establish which are most endangered, then perhaps obtain data and information on which are most valued (for example dangerous snakes or seal pups), and also some survey and scientific data on which populations are most important to maintaining natural environments in terms of the food chain.
Perhaps the first consideration would be a determination of the urban geographic area where the issue of housing stress requires attention. This would be done by a survey or, indeed, census data which determined how many persons occupied a dwelling in terms of numbers per room. However, this may be problematic because there may be less perception of overcrowding if children, particularly siblings of the same sex, are sharing rooms. Then consideration should be given to room use, for example how many people does it require to be overcrowded in terms of living rooms and kitchens compared, for example, to bedrooms. Therefore, the data required would have to sub-categorize such issues before housing stress could be satisfactorily measured.
References
Endangered Species.com, Causes of Endangerment, http://www.endangeredspecie.com/causes_of_endangerment.htm
International Association of Public Transport (2011), Home Page,
http://www.uitp.org/advocacy/public_transport.cfm
Sirovatka T., Greve B. & Hora O. (2011), Public/Private Mix and Social Innovation in Service Provision, Fiscal Policy and Employment, NeuJob State of the Art Report, No 2