Analysing education and health indicators and Malta's urban development densities using GIS

Abstract

Traditionally dense urban environments have been associated with ill-health and social problems. This perception is built on an anti-urban tradition that can be dated back to the eighteenth and nineteenth century industrial revolution. This led to an attraction to more spacious settlements and urban sprawl with the associated negative environmental impacts. Models have shown that dense settlements provide more efficiency when it comes to transportation systems and environmental protection. This geodemographic study focuses on the relationship between the two elements of the social context mainly education and health, and urban development densities. A spatio-temporal approach is adopted for the case study of Malta. A set of social indicators was developed, following on from other indicator systems and dependent on data availability, with the 2005 census districts boundaries being used as spatial units. Demographic, education and health information was collated from censuses and other government reports and spanned from 1948 to 2005. Geographic Information Systems were then used for the visualisation and the interpretation of the social indicators. In some cases in the past it has been shown that density could have affected morbidity. The study also shows that in the case of Malta, national developments can be stronger and can also supersede regional disparities. The findings confirm that compact settlements can be liveable cities and can be an alternative to the traditional urban sprawl.