The power of a simple index of neighbourhood change: Challenging the perception that there is no such thing as simplicity in creating indexes

While academic research on neighbourhood change has developed over the past 30 years, its measurement is often technical and complex, hampering knowledge translation of academic research to wider audiences. Based on our research on neighbourhood change in Atlantic Canadian cities, we have developed two “simple” indexes of neighbourhood change. We document the steps to creating the simple indexes and discuss what decisions are made along the way. We then compare results of the two indexes with a mean‐centred index that is commonly used for academic audiences. This is done to assess how simpler methods perform compared to one that is considered more sophisticated. Using the 2006 and 2016 Canadian Census data, we apply each of these neighbourhood change indexes to four Atlantic Canadian cities. Results indicate some similarities between the simple indexes and the mean‐centred index. We discuss the methodological and practical implications of the results to help facilitate knowledge translation of academic research for urban planners and NGOs.

The power of a simple index of neighbourhood change: Challenging the perception that there is no such thing as simplicity in creating indexes Journal Articles