Data Zone Centroids 2011
Data zone centroids are point features that represent the population weighted centre of data zones – the key geography for the dissemination of small area statistics in Scotland. These centroids are used to link data zones to other (higher level) geographies and produce a 'best-fit' match. Data zones can then be aggregated to approximate this larger area of interest or higher level geography that statistics wouldn’t normally be available for. Data zones also represent a relatively stable geography that can be used to analyse change over time, with changes only occurring after a Census. Following the update to data zones using 2011 Census data, there are now 6,976 data zones covering the whole of Scotland.
dataset
https://maps.gov.scot/server/services/ScotGov/StatisticalUnits/MapServer/WMSServer?
protocol: OGC:WMS
name: DataZoneCent2011
description: OGC View Service
function: information
https://maps.gov.scot/server/services/ScotGov/StatisticalUnits/MapServer/WFSServer?
protocol: OGC:WFS
name: SU:DataZoneCent2011
description: OGC Feature Download Service
function: download
https://maps.gov.scot/server/rest/services/ScotGov/StatisticalUnits/MapServer/4
protocol: WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link
name: Data Zone Centroids 2011
description: ESRI REST
function: download
https://maps.gov.scot/ATOM/shapefiles/SG_DataZoneCent_2011.zip
protocol: WWW:DOWNLOAD-1.0-http--download
name: Data Zone Centroids 2011
description: ESRI Shapefile Download
function: download
SG_DataZone_Cent_2011
www.gov.scot
eng
location
society
Statistical units
publication
2008-06-01
statistical data
population distribution
publication
2010-01-13
Statistical analysis
publication
2020-11-18
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-0.71
60.87
54.63
publication
2014-11-06
notPlanned
Centroids for data zone boundaries have been created by the Scottish Government's Geographic Information Science and Analysis Team (GI-SAT) in order to provide a way to link data zones to other (higher level) geographic boundaries used by Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics (SNS) and the wider public sector. Data zone centroids do not represent the geometric centre of the feature, but rather the population weighted centre. For 2001, data zone centroids were calculated as the mean centre of all 2001 Census output areas contained within a data zone. A detailed methodology for the process used in 2001 can be provided on request. While the method used to create 2011 Data Zone Centroids remains broadly the same, a small change was implemented following consultation with Local Authorities regarding 2011 Data Zone boundaries. This change was to use the median of locations of output area centroids contained within a data zone, as opposed to the mean centre. The median is a measure of central tendency and, broadly speaking, the median can be thought of as the 'middle' value. While the mean is calculated by summing all the values together and then dividing by the number of observations, the median is calculated by putting the observations in order, from lowest to highest, and then taking the value in the middle. (Or calculating the mean of the two middle values if there are an even number of observations.). The key advantage of using the median is that it is not as heavily influenced by extreme values as the mean. If a Data Zone has a highly skewed population distribution, for example a large rural data zone containing a small town in one corner, then the mean can be heavily influenced by the small number of people who live far away from the population centre and the mean will likely fall outside of the town. The median is considered to be a more robust measure of central tendency and is less likely to be influenced by values far away from what would be considered to be the population centre of the Data Zone. The process for creating 2011 Data Zone Centroids was automated using ESRI ArcGIS, but the general method is as follows. The median easting and northing coordinate pair for all 2011 Census Output Areas within the Data Zone is calculated, giving a notional centroid of the Data Zone. The distance from each of the Census Output Area centroids to the notional (or median) centroid is calculated using Pythagoras' Theorem. The Census Output Area coordinate pair with the shortest distance to the median was then chosen to represent the centroid of the Data Zone. Each 2011 Data Zone has been given a new unique code, following the Scottish Government’s standard naming and coding convention. The Data Zone 2011 codes range from S01006506 to S01013481 (the previous 2001 codes ranged from S01000001 to S01006505). Most data zones have been named according to the Intermediate Zone in which they reside, following the format ‘Intermdiate Zone Name – 01’, ‘Intermediate Zone Name – 02’, etc. Some Councils chose to provide an individual name to each data zone (e.g. Fife). Census 2011 total, resident and household counts have been summed for each data zone and included in the attribute table.
publication
2010-12-08
false
WMS
1.3.0
The following attribution statement must be used to acknowledge the source of the information: Copyright Scottish Government, contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right (insert year)
Geographic Information Science and Analysis Team
Scottish Government
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
United Kingdom
publisher
Data, Statistics and Outcomes
Scottish Government
St Andrews House, Regent Road
Edinburgh
EH1 3DG
United Kingdom
neighbourhood.statistics@gov.scot
pointOfContact
Geographic Information Science and Analysis Team
Scottish Government
Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
United Kingdom
pointOfContact
2021-03-18T15:22:32