Geography in practice: Open Geography Portal

• This session introduced the ONS Open Geography Portal, highlighting some of its most widely used datasets, including Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) and Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs), which support analyses such as deprivation indices, cost-benefit assessments, and infrastructure planning
• The presentation outlined the challenges associated with the existing portal, including limited user experience, accessibility issues, inconsistent dataset naming and difficulties discovering data
• Findings from a recent stakeholder engagement survey were shared, identifying three key priorities for improvement: data and metadata discoverability, accessibility and user experience, and automation of data management processes.
• The session concluded with a demonstration of the updated portal due to launch in summer 2027, which aims to offer a more intuitive and modern platform for accessing geography data.

Please note: The views of our speakers do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Royal Geographical Society.

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