Using Big Data to Measure Environmental Inclusivity in Cities
Lower-income urban communities bear the brunt of environmental burdens, even in wealthy green cities around the world.
Credit: iStock.com/leolintang
24 February 2021
The trouble with comparing cities, researchers have found, is you end up comparing apples and oranges—coasts and interiors, seasonal freezes and yearlong tropical humidity, strictly planned communities and suburban sprawl. It’s even more problematic than that because a city is not defined by a single uniform identity. Each city comprises a unique blend of neighborhoods where social and environmental conditions can change from street to street.
Given this complexity, how can we possibly assess global progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11), making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable? Can we measure these concepts universally?