A data framework for assessing social inequality and equity in multi‐sector social, ecological, infrastructural urban systems

Focus on fine‐spatial scales

Bibliographic Data

ID19467392
AuthorsLara P Clark (0000-0001-6940-5442, Department of Civil, Environmental, & Geo‐ Engineering University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota), Samuel Tabory (0000-0003-4816-3274, Department of Civil, Environmental, & Geo‐ Engineering University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota), Kangkang Tong (0000-0002-8515-4812, Department of Civil, Environmental, & Geo‐ Engineering University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota), Joseph L Servadio (0000-0002-9988-5712, Department of Civil, Environmental, & Geo‐ Engineering University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota), Kelsey Kappler (Department of Civil, Environmental, & Geo‐ Engineering University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota), Corey Kewei Xu (0000-0002-3244-9297, Sustainable Healthy Cities Network www.sustainablehealthy cities.org), Abiola S Lawal (0000-0002-8542-9898, Sustainable Healthy Cities Network www.sustainablehealthy cities.org), Peter Wiringa (0000-0003-2230-2862, Department of Civil, Environmental, & Geo‐ Engineering University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota), Len Kne (0000-0003-1932-3101, Department of Civil, Environmental, & Geo‐ Engineering University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota), Richard Feiock (0000-0001-5215-0391, Sustainable Healthy Cities Network www.sustainablehealthy cities.org), Julian D Marshall (0000-0003-4087-1209, Sustainable Healthy Cities Network www.sustainablehealthy cities.org), Armistead G Russell (0000-0003-2027-8870, Georgia Institute of Technology), Armistead Russell (Sustainable Healthy Cities Network www.sustainablehealthy cities.org), Anu Ramaswami (0000-0002-0476-2315, Department of Civil, Environmental, & Geo‐ Engineering University of Minnesota Minneapolis Minnesota, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume26
Issue1
Pages145-163
Publication date2022-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Industrial Ecology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1088-1980 • E-ISSN: 1530-9290
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1111/jiec.13222
OpenAlexW4205790202
LanguageEN
Citations received15
References cited87

Cities are increasingly advancing multiple societal goals related to environmental sustainability, health, well‐being, and equity. However, there are few comprehensive data sets that address social inequality and equity across multiple infrastructure sectors, determinants, and outcomes, particularly at fine intra‐urban spatial scales. This paper: (1) Offers an overarching conceptualization of inequality and equity in multi‐sector urban systems; (2) Introduces a broad data framework to assess inequality and equity across social ( S ), ecological ( E ), infrastructural ( I ), and urban ( U ) form determinants ( SEIU ) and environment ( E ), health ( H ), well‐being ( W ), and economy and security ( E ) outcomes ( EHWE ), identifying a universe of >110 SEIU–EHWE data layers (variables) of interest; (3) Provides an illustrative data case study of a US city that synthesizes publicly available sources of the associated SEIU–EHWE data attributes, noting their availability/gaps at fine spatial scales, important to inform social inequality; (4) Discusses analytic methods to quantify inequality and spatial correlates across SEIU determinants and EHWE outcomes; and, (5) Demonstrates several use‐cases of the data framework and companion analytic methods through real‐world applied case studies that inform equity planning in applications ranging from energy sector investments to air pollution and health. The US data case study reveals data availability (covering 41 of the 113 data layers) as well as major gaps associated with EHWE outcomes at fine spatial scales, while the application examples demonstrate practical use. Overall, the SEIU–EHWE data framework provides an anchor for systematically gathering, analyzing, and informing multiple dimensions of inequality and equity in sustainable urban systems

Conceptualization · Economic growth · Economics · Environmental resource management · Geography · Inequality · Political science · Public economics · Regional science · Social equality · Social inequality · Sustainability · Air Quality and Health Impacts · Computer Science · Environmental Justice and Health Disparities · Urban Transport and Accessibility · Ecology

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