Prof. Rich Harris (Univ. of Bristol) will focus on a fundamental concept in geographical studies -- spatial (or geographical) variation and using maps to reveal it. He will consider this with respect to the geographies of Covid in English towns and cities, and the evidence that some neighbourhoods have been harder hit than others. Is this just bad luck or can it be linked to the characteristics of those neighbourhoods, such as their ethnic composition? If it can, then why? (Ethnicity cannot cause a Covid infection, can it?)

Using freely available data from https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/, and introducing a data dashboard at https://geography.shinyapps.io/covidmaps/*, we will consider what makes a good visualisation of spatial pattern, explore what is happening in the towns and cities, and suggest data sources that may shed light on the characteristics of your neighbourhood or city.

*This data dashboard is not really intended for public use. You are very welcome to use it but please don't share it with other people outside of your school.