1. Spatial data needs in EU Regional Policy
Hugo Poelman
DG Regional and Urban Policy
Economic Analysis and Policy Development Unit
Brussels, 22/06/2018 1

2. Policy context Cohesion Policy investing in all regions of the EU
Thematic focus on particular territories, e.g. cities, urban-rural relationships
Cooperation component: border regions
Monitoring and reporting requires harmonised, regular and timely data availability
Legal reporting obligation: Cohesion Report every three years
EU Urban Agenda: focus on monitoring and benchmarking of cities

3. Data framework
Various territorial levels: NUTS regions, local administrative units, regular grid cells, typologies based on these units
Eurostat as main data provider
Continuously increasing role of geospatial data and analysis in developing indicators and typologies

4. Spatial data needs and uses cases
Some highlights
Territorial typologies
Development of (new) indicators
Enhancement of spatial resolution of quantitative data
Project geolocation

5. Territorial typologies
Development in cooperation with Eurostat, JRC and OECD
Degree of urbanisation, definition of urban centres, cities, functional urban areas, border areas, etc.
Based on 1 km² grid cells and on local administrative units (LAU2)
Used for production of harmonised data and as framework for surveys
Regular updates require authoritative, timely and harmonised boundary data on administrative units

6. Indicator development
At regional, sub-regional, local and grid level
Themes including accessibility, proximity to services, exposure and vulnerability, …
Combining:
Population distribution
Land use / land cover
Building units and their characteristics (use and height)
Transport networks and infrastructure (road and rail)

7. Enhancing the spatial resolution of quantitative data
High resolution of population (night-time and day-time) and employment data required for spatial analysis
Modelling needed to overcome confidentiality limitations: spatial disaggregation
Disaggregation informed by:
Land use / land cover
Building units (incl. use and height)

8. Project geolocation
Georeferencing of major Cohesion Policy projects and of specific actions with a territorial focus (e.g. urban innovative actions)
Requires reliable, up-to-date reference data:
Addresses
Administrative units
Transport networks and related infrastructure

9. More information Territorial typologies: Indicator development:
Cities and functional urban areas:
Degree of urbanisation:
Indicator development:
Access to public transport in cities:
Access to urban green spaces:
Rail accessibility in border areas:

10. High-resolution population data:
Population in functional urban areas:
Downscaling tests using building height:
Project geolocation:
Major projects and :