Using open-source data to explore distribution of built environment characteristics across Kerala, India

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Urban Planning
• Geospatial Analysis

Background:

• Neighborhood built environment characteristics are crucial for healthy lifestyles in rapidly urbanizing countries.
• These factors are linked to disease burden in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with limited exploration using open-source data.
• Modern technology provides accessible online resources and open-source software for built environment research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline methods for obtaining objective built environment variables for an Indian state.
• To determine the spatial distribution of these variables across the state.

Main Methods:

• Population and residential density data sourced from the Census of India.
• Crime and pedestrian accident rates obtained from the State Crime Records Bureau.
• Greenness, built-up density, and land slope derived from open-source satellite imagery.
• Road intersection density calculated using OpenStreetMap data.

Main Results:

• Each built environment variable exhibited a unique distribution pattern across the state.
• Population and residential density showed a strong positive correlation with each other.
• Higher population and residential densities were associated with increased crime rates, pedestrian accidents, built-up density, and road intersection density, but decreased land slope and greenness.

Conclusions:

• This study pioneers the use of open-source data to map built environment variables in LMICs.
• The cost-effective and reproducible approach empowers researchers in resource-limited settings.
• Findings facilitate the identification of regional built environment characteristics and patterns for public health research.