06Appendix

Geographies

The first part of this research series, Urban Demographics: Where people live and work, looked at the city centres, suburbs and hinterlands of 59 cities across England and Wales.

The cities used are those defined as Primary Urban Areas. More detail on the PUA definition can be seen at centreforcities.org/puas

These geographies were defined as follows:

City centre

The city centre is defined as a circular area, composed of all LSOAs that fall within a radius from a pre-defined city centre point. The radius is 2 miles for London, 0.8 miles for large cities and 0.5 miles for medium and small cities. LSOAs were allocated to city centres where more than 50 per cent of the land mass fell within the circular areas of the defined city centre. Where the boundary of city centres changed between 2001 and 2011, adjustments were made, involving adding or removing individual LSOAs to or from these definitions. The adjusted city centre definitions cover the same land area of cities in 2001 and 2011.

Suburb

Suburbs are defined as all other LSOAs within the Primary Urban Area (PUA) that are not classed as city centres. Suburbs of different cities do not overlap, as these are perfectly nested within the local authorities that make up the PUA. The Primary Urban Area (PUA) definition is a standard statistical geography which reflects the continuous built up area of a city. It is defined for English cities only. For Welsh cities, a city definition is based on the corresponding local authority area. City centres and suburbs combined make up the PUAs.

Hinterland

The hinterland is defined as a circular area, composed of all LSOAs that fall within a certain radius from the pre-defined city centre point. This radius is city-specific and depends on the average distance travelled by those who live outside of the city but commute into the city. The average distance travelled figures are calculated in reference to Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs) rather than LSOAs, as commuting data for LSOAs would have been too complex to analyse. The MSOA-based average distance travelled figures are likely to be similar to the LSOA-based figures. Where an LSOA only partially falls within this commuting radius, more than 50% of its land mass must fall within it for it to be classed as a hinterland. The city centre or suburb of one city cannot be classed as a hinterland of another city, even if they fall within the commuting radius.
Four categories of cities

The analysis distinguishes between four types of cities, based on the resident population in 2011.

  • London [1]
  • Large (population more than 550,000) [8]
  • Medium (population between 230,000 and 550,000) [30]
  • Small (population less than 230,000) [20]

Based on the size of the resident population in 2011, 59 cities within England and Wales were allocated into the above categories as follows:

Live & Work Appendix Table 3

Surveys

This project uses two YouGov surveys: a national survey across Great Britain and a survey conducted in the city centres, suburbs and hinterlands of four case study cities: Manchester, Brighton, Sheffield and Swindon.

The four case study cities were Brighton, Manchester, Sheffield and Swindon. These areas were defined using the postcode sectors that were best-fitted into the three areas of a city that were used in Urban Demographics, Where people live and work (city centre, suburb and hinterland) in four cities, creating a total of 12 defined postcode areas.

The sample sizes for each of the 12 defined postcode areas were as follows:

  1. Brighton city centre (91)
  2. Brighton suburb (200)
  3. Brighton hinterland (135)
  4. Manchester city centre (89)
  5. Manchester suburb (306)
  6. Manchester hinterland (185)
  7. Sheffield city centre (50)
  8. Sheffield suburb (213)
  9. Sheffield hinterland (120)
  10. Swindon city centre (38)
  11. Swindon suburb (81)
  12. Swindon hinterland (217)

Across most of the 12 defined postcode areas we achieved a sample size of at least 50 respondents, which is deemed to be a wide enough cross-section of the target population and considered to be statistically reliable. This does not apply to the size of the sample captured in Swindon city centre, where the number of people that responded to our survey was 38. For Swindon city centre, all results will be reported in the form of numbers rather than percentages (e.g. “X residents in Swindon city centre said…” rather than “Y per cent of residents in Swindon city centre said…”).

The survey has been conducted using an online interview administered to members of the YouGov Plc GB panel of 350,000+ individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys. Emails are sent to panellists selected at random from the base sample. The e-mail invites them to take part in a survey and provides a generic survey link. Once a panel member clicks on the link they are sent to the survey that they are most required for, according to the sample definition and quotas. (The sample definition could be “GB adult population” or a subset such as “GB adult females”). Invitations to surveys don’t expire and respondents can be sent to any available survey. The responding sample is weighted to the profile of the sample definition to provide a representative reporting sample. The profile is normally derived from census data or, if not available from the census, from industry accepted data.36

National survey

The fieldwork for the national polling was undertaken between 1st and 2nd September 2015.

The national polling captured 2080 respondents aged 18 and over, including 1001 women and 1079 men. The national polling figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+). The respondents were split into the following five age groups: 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54 and 55+. This age data was collected by YouGov and reported alongside the survey responses.

Questionnaire: national survey

  1. Which THREE, if any, of the following were your MAIN reasons for choosing to live in the neighbourhood you currently live in? (Please choose up to THREE options. If your answer is not in the list provided, please type them in the box provided.)
  • To be close to my workplace
  • To be close to my partner’s workplace
  • I am currently/ was studying in the neighbourhood
  • Availability of public transport
  • The size or type of housing available
  • The cost of housing available
  • To be close to friends/ family
  • To be close to good schools
  • To be close to local shops
  • To be close to restaurants/ leisure or cultural facilities
  • To be close to countryside/ green spaces
  • The quality of the built or natural environment
  • The safety and security of the neighbourhood
  • The sense of community in the neighbourhood
  • I have a cultural or religious association with the neighbourhood
  • I grew up in the neighbourhood
  • Other (open)
  • Don’t know/ can’t recall
  1. Which THREE, if any, of the following are your LEAST favourite aspects of the neighbourhood you currently live in? (Please choose up to THREE options. If your answer is not in the list provided, please type them in the box provided.)
  • The distance I am from my workplace
  • The distance my partner is from their workplace
  • The availability of public transport
  • The size or type of housing available
  • The cost of housing available
  • Living too far away from friends/ family
  • Living too far away from good schools
  • Living too far away from local shops
  • Living too far away from restaurants/ leisure or cultural facilities
  • Living too far from countryside/ green spaces
  • The quality of built or natural environment
  • The poor safety and security of the neighbourhood
  • The level of pollution or other environmental quality
  • My neighbours
  • Other (open)
  • Don’t know/ can’t recall
  1. Thinking about the city or cities you lived in OR nearest to when you were at school/ of school age (i.e. from the age of 4 to 18)…
    Would you say that you currently live in or near ANY of those cities?
  • Yes, I would
  • No, I wouldn’t

Survey in four case study cities

The four case study cities were Brighton, Manchester, Sheffield and Swindon. These areas were defined using the postcode sectors that were best-fitted into the three areas of a city that were used in Urban Demographics, Where people live and work (city centre, suburb and hinterland) in four cities, creating a total of twelve defined postcode areas twelve areas.37

The fieldwork for the polling in four case study cities was undertaken between 3rd and 28th September 2015.

The polling in the four case study cities captured 1725 respondents aged 18 andver in the grouped postal codes, including 930 women and 795 men. The respondents were split into the following five age groups: 18-24, 25-34, 35-44, 45-54 and 55+. The sample is not representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

The sample sizes for each of the twelve defined postcode areas were as follows:

  1. Brighton city centre (91)
  2. Brighton suburb (200)
  3. Brighton hinterland (135)
  4. Manchester city centre (89)
  5. Manchester suburb (306)
  6. Manchester hinterland (185)
  7. Sheffield city centre (50)
  8. Sheffield suburb (213)
  9. Sheffield hinterland (120)
  10. Swindon city centre (38)
  11. Swindon suburb (81)
  12. Swindon hinterland (217)

Questionnaire: case study survey

  1. Which of these applies to you?
  • Working full time (30 or more hours per week)
  • Working part time (8-29 hours a week)
  • Working part time (Less than 8 hours a week)
  • Full time student
  • Retired
  • Unemployed
  • Not working
  • Other
  1. Please type the post code of your workplace/ or institution of study in the box below.

 

  1. For the following question, please read the whole list before answering….
    Which ONE of the following best describes the kind of job you do? (Please select the option that best applies)
  • Manager, Director and Senior Official (e.g. Chief Executive, Production Manager, Logistics Director, Health and Social Services Manager, Senior Police Officer, Shop Manager, Hotel Proprietor etc.)
  • Professional Occupations (e.g. Librarian, Architect, Lawyer, Nurse, Analyst, Electrical Engineer, Pharmacist, Teacher etc.)
  • Associate Professional and Technical Occupations (e.g. Technician; Counsellor; Police Sergeant; Musician; Interior Designer etc.)
  • Administrative and Secretarial Occupations (e.g. Local Government Administrative Officer; Secretary; Payroll Manager; Finance Officer; Insurance Clerk; Receptionist etc.)
  • Skilled Trades Occupations (e.g. Builder; Gardener; Agricultural Engineer; Mechanic; Boat Builder etc.)
  • Caring, leisure and other service occupations (e.g. Nursery Nurse; Teaching Assistant;  Veterinary Nurse; Home Carer; Travel Agent; Hairdresser; Housekeeper etc.)
  • Sales and Customer Service Occupations (e.g. Sales Assistant; Market Trader; Window Dresser; Telephonist etc.)
  • Process; Plant and Machine Operatives (e.g. Process Worker; Wood Machinist; Coal Miner; Seamstress; Tyre Fitter; Bus Driver; Road Worker; Handyman etc.)
  • Elementary Occupations (e.g. Farm Labourer; Nursery Worker; Factory Worker; Postman; Window Cleaner; Security Guard; Warehouse Operator; Waiter; Hotel Assistant etc.)
  • Don’t know
  1. Which ONE, if any of the following BEST describes the MAIN home you live in?
  • I/ my partner own(s) the home outright
  • I/ my partner own(s) the home with a mortgage
  • I/ we rent from a private landlord
  • I/ we rent from my local authority
  • I/ we rent from a housing association
  • I live with my parents, family or friends but pay some rent to them
  • I live rent-free with my parents, family or friends
  • I live in student halls
  • I live in a retirement home
  • Other
  1. Which THREE, if any, of the following were your MAIN reasons for choosing to live in the neighbourhood you currently live in? (Please choose up to THREE options. If your answer is not in the list provided, please type them in the box provided.)
  • To be close to my workplace
  • To be close to my partner’s workplace
  • I am currently/ was studying in the neighbourhood
  • Availability of public transport
  • The size or type of housing available
  • The cost of housing available
  • To be close to friends/ family
  • To be close to good schools
  • To be close to local shops
  • To be close to restaurants/ leisure or cultural facilities
  • To be close to countryside/ green spaces
  • The quality of the built or natural environment
  • The safety and security of the neighbourhood
  • The sense of community in the neighbourhood
  • I have a cultural or religious association with the neighbourhood
  • I grew up in the neighbourhood
  • Other (open)
  • Don’t know/can’t recall
  1. Which THREE, if any, of the following are your LEAST favourite aspects of the neighbourhood you currently live in? (Please choose up to THREE options. If your answer is not in the list provided, please type them in the box provided.)
  • The distance I am from my workplace
  • The distance my partner is from their workplace
  • The availability of public transport
  • The size or type of housing available
  • The cost of housing available
  • Living too far away from friends/ family
  • Living too far away from good schools
  • Living too far away from local shops
  • Living too far away from restaurants/ leisure or cultural facilities
  • Living too far from countryside/ green spaces
  • The quality of built or natural environment
  • The poor safety and security of the neighbourhood
  • The level of pollution or other environmental quality
  • My neighbours
  • Other (open)
  • Don’t know/can’t recall
  1. Which ONE of the following do you **usually** go to for non-essential items (e.g. clothes, books and homewares etc.)? (Please select the option that best applies)

Options for the respondents in Manchester:

  • Manchester city centre
  • Trafford Centre
  • Liverpool city centre
  • Sheffield city centre
  • Other out of town shopping centre or retail park
  • Other town or city centre
  • Other
  • Not applicable – I usually do my non-essential shopping online
  • Not applicable – someone else does my non-essential shopping online

Options for the respondents in Sheffield:

  • Sheffield city centre
  • Meadowhall shopping centre
  • Rotherham town centre
  • Leeds city centre
  • Manchester city centre
  • Nottingham city centre
  • Other out of town shopping centre or retail park
  • Other town or city centre
  • Other
  • Not applicable – I usually do my non-essential shopping online
  • Not applicable – someone else does my non-essential shopping online

Options for the respondents in Brighton:

  • Brighton city centre
  • Hove town centre
  • Worthing town centre
  • Central London
  • Other out of town shopping centre or retail park
  • Other town or city centre
  • Other
  • Not applicable – I usually do my non-essential shopping online
  • Not applicable – someone else does my non-essential shopping online

Options for the respondents in Swindon:

  • Swindon city centre
  • Newbury town centre
  • Chippenham town centre
  • Oxford city centre
  • Bath city centre
  • Bristol city centre
  • Orbital shopping centre
  • Other out of town shopping centre or retail park
  • Other town or city centre
  • Other
  • Not applicable – I usually do my non-essential shopping online
  • Not applicable – someone else does my non-essential shopping online
  1. How likely or unlikely do you think you will be to move to a new home in the next 2 years (i.e. between now and September 2017)?
  • Very likely
  • Fairly likely
  • Fairly unlikely
  • Very unlikely
  • Don’t know
  1. For approximately how long have you lived in your current home? (Please type your answer in years and months in the boxes provided. If you are unsure, give your best estimate)
  • Years:…
  • Months:…
  1. Thinking about the city or cities you lived **in OR nearest to** when you were at school/ of school age (i.e. from the age of 4 to 18)…
    Would you say that you currently live in or near ANY of those cities?
  • Yes, I would
  • No, I wouldn’t

 

Footnotes

  • 36 Source: YouGov
  • 37 The respondents were asked to report their postcode of residence, and the postcode of the usual place of work or the usual place of study. This information is confidential and the Centre for Cities had no access to this data. The postcode data allowed YouGov to allocate the respondents into one of twelve defined postcode areas.