‘Observing cities’ social inequalities: a cartographic case study of Aveiro, Portugal

Abstract

The aim of the study is to present a methodology and an instrument to study cities through a case study undertaken in the county of Aveiro, in Portugal. More specifically, it is to establish a typology of social areas, via the concerns that define quality of life. The data are from 1991 (the last published census), collected by INE (National Agency of Statistic), and desegregated for sub-sections (each subsection has about 300 inhabitants). Seven indicators were chosen, submitted to principal component analysis, and 4 factors were extracted: socio-professional status, ageing of population and buildings, accommodation capacity and precarious housing conditions. The cluster analysis permitted the identification, within each factor group, of sub-sections with different quality of life: high-medium, medium, low-medium and low.