Professor Scott Orford
(he/him)

Professor in Spatial Analysis and GIS

My research interests are in GIS and social geography, particularly the statistical and geographical modelling of socio-economic processes using techniques that are sensitive to spatial context. I am an expert in mapping, spatial analysis and statistical modelling using multi-level modelling and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR). I am also an expert in meta-data, data-integration and the search and discovery of socio-economic data. I am Director of Data of the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) and a Co-Director of the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD) and I lead on the WISERD Data Portal project which is a web-based application that enhances a researcher’s ability to search, discover and access socio-economic research data with the aim of encouraging the re-use and re-purposing of existing data. This includes the co-creation of data dashboards and mapping platforms with an emphasis on third sector, public sector and community stakeholders. I am the academic lead on the Understanding Welsh Places website project in collaboration with the Carnegie UK Trust, Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA), the Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES), and the Welsh Government. I am Co-Director and Cardiff lead of the AHRC funded Public Map Platform, a two year community mapping and community science project working with creative pratitioners in Anglesey with the aim of making places in the UK better for the people who live there with an emphasis on climate change and future generations. I am also co-investigator and academic lead of the data analysis and mapping strand of the ESRC Rural Wales Local Policy and Innovation Partnership.

I research housing and housing market modelling and the importance of space and location in understanding housing market dynamics and house price determination. I have continuously published in this area since my PhD, building an international reputation in investigating spatial structure and spatial variables in house price models. I have also worked on projects in a variety of social science areas such as public health, population studies and electoral studies and voting behaviour. I have an interest in the role of accessibility in understanding socio-economic processes, particularly across different spatial scales and geographical contexts. For instance, I was part of the interdisciplinary CHALICE project (funded by National Institute for Health Research) that investigated the impact of changing accessibility to alcohol outlets to alcohol related harm on population health. I am also interested in how places are connected by different modes of transport and how this transport connectivity can be reflected in the interdependency of places on different goods, services and community assets.

My work makes extensive use of secondary data including administrative data, linked-data in safe settings and new forms of data. I have published work in a variety of books, policy reports and international academic journals. I have undertaken joint policy research with the Welsh Assembly Government and research funded by the ESRC, AHRC, HEFCW, NIHR, the JRF and the Wales Innovation Network.

2024

Liu, X., Chen, X., Orford, S., Tian, M. and Zou, G. 2024. Does better accessibility always mean higher house price?. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science 51(9), pp. 2179-2195. (10.1177/23998083241242212)
Hafferty, C., Reed, M. S., Brockett, B. F. T., Orford, S., Berry, R., Short, C. and Davis, J. 2024. Engagement in the digital age: Understanding 'what works' for participatory technologies in environmental decision making.. Journal of Environmental Management 365, article number: 121365. (10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121365)

2020

Fry, R., Orford, S., Rogers, S., Morgan, J. and Fone, D. 2020. A best practice framework to measure spatial variation in alcohol availability. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science 47(3), pp. 381-399. (10.1177/2399808318773761)

2019

Orford, S. and Webb, B. 2019. Situating social policy analysis: Possibilities from quantitative and qualitative GIS. In: Whitworth, A. ed. Towards A Spatial Social Policy: Bridging the gap between geography and social policy. Policy Press, pp. 169-194.

2018

Orford, S. and Webb, B. 2018. Mapping the interview transcript: identifying spatial policy areas from daily working practices. Area 50(4), pp. 529-541. (10.1111/area.12408)
Orford, S. 2018. The capitalisation of school choice into property prices: a case study of grammar and all ability state schools in Buckinghamshire, UK. Geoforum 97, pp. 231-241. (10.1016/j.geoforum.2018.09.009)
Potoglou, D., Maoh, H., Wang, Y. and Orford, S. 2018. The impact of public transport infrastructure on land values: using spatial analysis to uncover policy-relevant processes. In: Briasoulis, H., Soulakellis, N. and Kavroudakis, D. eds. The practice of spatial analysis: Essays in memory of Professor Pavlos Kanaroglou.. Springer, pp. 275-293.
Cooper, C., Harvey, I. and Orford, S. 2018. Testing the ability of multivariate hybrid spatial network analysis to predict the effect of a major urban redevelopment on pedestrian flows. Presented at: GISRUK 2018: 26th GIScience Research UK Conference, University of Leicester, 17-20 April 2018.

2017

Fry, R. J., Rodgers, S. E., Morgan, J., Orford, S. and Fone, D. L. 2017. Using routinely collected administrative data in public health research: geocoding alcohol outlet data. Applied Spatial Analysis and Policy 10(2), pp. 301-315. (10.1007/s12061-016-9184-4)

2016

Xiao, Y., Webster, C. and Orford, S. 2016. Can street segments indexed for accessibility form the basis for housing submarket delineation?. Housing Studies 31(7), pp. 829-851. (10.1080/02673037.2016.1150433)
Fone, D. et al. 2016. Change in alcohol outlet density and alcohol-related harm to population health (CHALICE): a comprehensive record-linked database study in Wales. Public Health Research 4(3), pp. 1-184. (10.3310/phr04030)
Xiao, Y., Orford, S. and Webster, C. J. 2016. Urban configuration, accessibility, and property prices: a case study of Cardiff, Wales. Environment and Planning B: Urban Analytics and City Science 43(1), pp. 108-129. (10.1177/0265813515600120)
Xiao, Y., Webster, C. and Orford, S. 2016. Identifying house price effects of changes in urban street configuration: An empirical study in Nanjing, China. Urban Studies 53(1), pp. 112-131. (10.1177/0042098014560500)
Rodgers, S. et al. 2016. Alcohol outlet density and hospital admissions for alcohol-related injury: an electronic record-linked cohort study. Presented at: 12th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, Tampere, Finland, 18-21 September, 2016.

2015

Jones, S., Orford, S. and Higgs, G. 2015. Wales: a statistical perspective. In: Jones, M., Orford, S. and Macfarlane, V. eds. People, Places and Policy: Knowing Contemporary Wales through New Localities. Regions and Cities London: Routledge, pp. 42-78.
Burgess, S. and Moles, K. 2015. The heads of the valleys. In: Jones, M., Orford, S. and Macfarlane, V. eds. People, Places and Policy: Knowing contemporary Wales through new localities. Regions and Cities Vol. 88. Abingdon: Routledge, pp. 79-94., (10.4324/9781315683904)
Wang, Y., Potoglou, D., Orford, S. and Gong, Y. 2015. Bus stop, property price and land value tax: A multilevel hedonic analysis with quantile calibration. Land Use Policy 42, pp. 381-391. (10.1016/j.landusepol.2014.07.017)
Jones, M., Orford, S. and McFarlane, V. eds. 2015. People, places, policies: knowing contemporary Wales. Abingdon: Routledge. (10.4324/9781315683904)
Fone, D. L. et al. 2015. Change in alcohol outlet density and the risk of violent crime. Presented at: 41st Annual Alcohol Epidemiology Symposium of the Kettil Bruun Society, Munich, Germany, 1-5 June 2015.

2014

Clapham, D., Mackie, P., Orford, S., Thomas, I. and Buckley, K. 2014. The housing pathways of young people in the UK. Environment and Planning A 46(8), pp. 2016-2031. (10.1068/a46273)
Orford, S. and Leigh, C. 2014. The relationship between self-reported definitions of urban neighbourhood and respondent characteristics: a study of Cardiff, UK. Urban Studies 51(9), pp. 1891-1908. (10.1177/0042098013499795)
Harris, R. et al. 2014. Geographers count: a report on quantitative methods in geography. Enhancing Learning in the Social Sciences 6(2), pp. 43-58. (10.11120/elss.2014.00035)

2013

Cooper, C., Orford, S., Webster, C. J. and Jones, C. B. 2013. Exploring the ripple effect and spatial volatility in house prices in England and Wales: regressing interaction domain cross-correlations against reactive statistics. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 40(5), pp. 763-782. (10.1068/b37062)
Harris, R. et al. 2013. Quantitative methods in geography: making the connections between schools, universities and employers. Project Report. [Online]. London: Royal Geographical Society with IBG. Available at: http://www.slideshare.net/RichHarris1/report-25950490

2012

Fone, D. L. et al. 2012. Change in alcohol outlet density and alcohol-related harm to population health (CHALICE). BMC Public Health 12(1), article number: 428. (10.1186/1471-2458-12-428)
Fone, D. L. et al. 2012. Change in alcohol outlet density and alcohol-related harm to population health (CHALICE). BMC Public Health 12(1), pp. 428-437. (10.1186/1471-2458-12-428)
Fry, R., Berry, R., Higgs, G., Orford, S. and Jones, S. 2012. The WISERD geoportal: a tool for the discovery, analysis and visualization of socio-economic (Meta-) data for Wales. Transactions in GIS 16(2), pp. 105-124. (10.1111/j.1467-9671.2012.01308.x)
Clapham, D. F., Buckley, K., MacKie, P. K., Orford, S. and Thomas, I. 2012. Housing options and solutions for young people in 2020. Project Report. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

2011

Orford, S., Rallings, C., Thrasher, M. and Borisyuk, G. 2011. Changes in the probability of voter turnout when resiting polling stations: a case study in Brent, UK. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy 29(1), pp. 149-169. (10.1068/c1013r)

2010

Orford, S. 2010. Towards a data-rich infrastructure for housing-market research: deriving floor-area estimates for individual properties from secondary data sources. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 37(2), pp. 248-264. (10.1068/b35082)
Clapham, D. F., Buckley, K., MacKie, P. K., Orford, S. and Thomas, I. 2010. Young people and housing in 2020: identifying key drivers for change. Project Report. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Orford, S. 2010. A primer of GIS: fundamental geographic and cartographic concepts [Book Review]. International Planning Studies 15(1), pp. 75-77. (10.1080/13563471003737009)
Orford, S. and Burgess, S. J. 2010. Combining the spatial and platial: QGIS and knowing Wales. Presented at: WISERD Summer Conference: Knowing Wales: People, Place and Policy, Cardiff University.
Berry, R., Fry, R., Higgs, G. and Orford, S. 2010. Building a geo-portal for enhancing collaborative socio-economic research in Wales using open-source technology. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education 2(1), pp. 78-92. (10.1108/17581184201000007)
Orford, S. and Jones, S. 2010. Mapping Welsh neighbourhood types classified using attitudinal data from the national Living in Wales survey. Journal of Maps, pp. 346-353. (10.4113/jom.2010.1096)
Burgess, S. and Orford, S. 2010. Qualitative GIS: combining theory and method. Presented at: NCRM Research Methods Festival, Oxford.

2009

Orford, S., Rallings, C., Thrasher, M. and Borisyuk, G. 2009. Electoral salience and the costs of voting at national, sub-national and supra-national elections in the UK: a case study of Brent, UK. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers 34(2), pp. 195-214. (10.1111/j.1475-5661.2008.00335.x)
Dorling, D., Mitchell, R., Orford, S., Shaw, M. and Tunstall, H. 2009. Health inequalities. In: Kitchin, R. and Thrift, N. eds. International Encyclopedia of Human Geography. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 46–50.

2008

Orford, S. 2008. Visualization with high resolution aerial photography in planning related property research. In: Dodge, M., McDerby, M. and Turner, M. eds. Geographic Visualization: Concepts, Tools and Applications. Chichester: Wiley, pp. 141-158.
Orford, S. 2008. Now and then: Charles Booth and the changing geography of London's poor. Presented at: Historical GIS 2008 Conference, University of Essex.
Orford, S., Rallings, C., Thrasher, M. and Borisyuk, G. 2008. Investigating differences in electoral turnout: the influence of ward-level context on participation in local and parliamentary elections in Britain. Environment and Planning A 40(5), pp. 1250-1268. (10.1068/a39169)

2007

Orford, S. and Radcliffe, J. S. 2007. Modelling UK residential dwelling types using OS Mastermap data: a comparison to the 2001 census. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems 31(2), pp. 206-227. (10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2006.08.003)
Moore, L. et al. 2007. Social science quantitative methods capacity building in Wales: ESRC/HEFCW scoping study. Working paper. Cardiff: Cardiff University.

2004

Orford, S. 2004. Identifying and comparing changes in the spatial concentrations of urban poverty and affluence: a case study of inner London. Computers, Environment and Urban Systems 28(6), pp. 701-717. (10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2003.07.003)

2002

Orford, S., Dorling, D., Mitchell, R., Shaw, M. and Davey Smith, G. 2002. Life and death of the people of London: a historical GIS of Charles Booth's inquiry. Health & place 8(1), pp. 25-35. (10.1016/S1353-8292(01)00033-8)
Orford, S. 2002. Valuing locational externalities: a GIS and multilevel modelling approach. Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design 29(1), pp. 105-127. (10.1068/b2780)

2000

Orford, S. 2000. Modelling spatial structures in local housing market dynamics: A multilevel perspective. Urban Studies 37(9), pp. 1643-1671. (10.1080/00420980020080301)

Current projects

Woods, M et al. ESRC Rural Wales Local Policy and Innovation Partnership (LPIP), Funded by the ESRC for 36 months January 2024 – December 2026 (£5M)

Samuel, F., Orford, S., Shepley, A. et al. AHRC The Community Open Map Platform for Future Generations: Charting the green transition on the Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn (COMP) AHRC Green Transition Ecosystems for 25 months October 2023 - September 2025 (£4.5M) (AH/Y003772/)

Gibb, K et al. ESRC UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE Phase 2). Funded by the ESRC for 48 months October 2022 – September 2026 (£1.43) (ES/W012278/1)

WISERD Data infrastructure and data integration as part of the Prof Ian Jones et al., WISERD Civil Society: Changing perspectives on Civic Stratification and Civil Repair, ESRC Centres and Large Grants Competition. For 60 months October 2019-September 2024 (£7.9M) (ES/S012435/1)

Past projects

Woods, M et al. ESRC Rural Wales Local Policy and Innovation Partnership Phase 1, Funded by the ESRC for 6 months April 2023 – September 2023 (£50,000) (ES/Y000226/1)

Orford, S., Mind the Gap: Understanding Public transport provision in Wales for people with disabilities and reduced mobilities. Funded by Wales Innovation Network for 6 months May 2022-October 2022 (£50,000)

Orford, S. Understanding Welsh Places - Phase 2, Funded by The Carnegie United Kingdom Trust for 9 months January 2020 – September 2020 (£20K)

Orford, S. Understanding Welsh Places, Funded by The Carnegie United Kingdom Trust / Welsh Government for 9 months January 2019 – September 2019 (£60k)

Gibb, K et al. ESRC UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE). Funded by the ESRC / AHRC / Joseph Rowntree Foundation for 60 months August 2017 – July 2022 (£6M) (ES/P008852/1)

Jones, I et al. WISERD/CivilSociety: Devolution, Social and Economic Change and the Local and Regional Landscapes of Civil Society (WISERD II). Funded by the ESRC Centres and Large Grants Competition for 60 months (2014) (ES/L006073/1)

A New Literary Geography: Establishing a Digital Literary Atlas for Wales and its Borderlands with Prof Jon Anderson, Prof Kirsti Bohata. Funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council for 2 years (2016)

Orford, S. Developing a Mapping Interface for UK Census data: scoping out project, ESRC and UK Data Service Innovation Fund Competition for 3 months (2014)

Centre for Administrative Data Research and Evaluation (CADRE) - an ESRC Administrative Data Research Centre (with Prof David Ford (PI), Prof Ian Jones, Prof Ronan Lyons (Swansea), Rhys Davies, Dr Kerina Jones (Swansea), Prof Kevin Hayes (Swansea), Prof David Blackaby (Swansea), Prof Chris Taylor, Prof Martin Innes, Prof Judith Philips (Swansea), Prof Paul Burton, Prof Andy Pithouse, Prof Pete Mackie) Funded by the ESRC (2013).

Morphometric analysis of the Built Environment in UK Biobank (with Professor Chris Webster (PI), Dr Scott Orford, Mr Chinmoy Sarkar, Dr John Gallacher) Funded by the UK BioBank (2012).

Change in alcohol outlet density and alcohol-related harm to population health (with Prof David Fone, Prof Chris Webster, Prof Ronan Lyons, Prof Frank Dunstan, Dr Sarah Rodgers, Dr Shin Lee, Dr Naru Shiode, Dr Scott Orford) Funded by the National Institute for Health Research (2011).

Developing a data discovery and sharing infrastructure for quantitative and qualitative socio-economic data via the WISERD GeoPortal; (with Dr Richard Berry (Glamorgan), Prof Gary Higgs (Glamorgan), Dr Rich Fry (Swansea), Angela Evans (Welsh Government)), Funded by the ESRC (2012).

Supporting undergraduate teaching in quantitative geography: making the connections between schools, universities and the workplace (with Dr Richard Harris, Prof Christopher Brunsdon, Dr Claire Jarvis, Dr Nicholas Tate, Dr Christopher Keylock, Dr Alex Singleton, Dr Catherine Souch), Funded by the ESRC (2012).

A survey for the future of UKBORDERS 2011-2016: Report and Recommendations, Funded by EDINA (2011).

Data collection and analysis - May 2011 elections and Parliamentary Voting System referendum (with Prof Colin Rawlings, Prof Mike Thrasher, Prof David Denver), Funded by the Electoral Commission (2011).

Evaluation of the 2006-2011 Census Programme (with Drinkwater, S., and Davies, R). Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), (2010).

Young People and Housing: identifying policy challenges and solutions for 2020 (with Clapham, D., and Mackie, P.) Funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, (2009).

Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD) (with Huw Beynon et. al.). Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) / Higher Education Funding Council For Wales (HEFCW), (2008).

Modelling residential living space for individual properties using digital infrastructure and remote sensing data: a Cardiff pilot study. Funded by the Royal Geographical Society - Institute of British Geography (RGS-IBG) and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) small grant programme, (2007).

Scoping study to identify quantitative methods capacity building needs in Wales (with Moore, L., Lynch, R., Maio, G., Moore, G., Robinson, A., Taylor, C., and Whitfield, K). Funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) / Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW), (2006).

The Role of The Housing System in Rural Wales (with P. Milbourne, and B. Edwards). Funded by the National Assembly for Wales, (2003).

Age Balanced Communities in Rural Wales (with Newidiem and Menter a Business). Funded by the National Assembly for Wales, (2002).

I teach quantitative research methods including GIS, mapping, spatial analysis, statistics and data presentation at undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Qualifications

PhD., School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol (1997)
BSc (Hons) Geography, Department of Geography, University of Lancaster (1993)

Professional memberships

Scott Orford is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society / Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG)

Academic positions

Professor (2019 - Present)
Reader in GIS and Spatial Analysis, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University (2014 - 2019)
Senior Lecturer in GIS and Spatial Analysis, School of Geography and Planning, Cardiff University (2009 - 2014)
WISERD Data Integration Co-ordinator (2008-2011)
Lecturer in GIS and Spatial Analysis, School of City and Regional Planning, Cardiff University (2000 - 2008)
Computer Officer, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol (1996 - 2000)
PhD. Student, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol (1994 - 1997)
ESRC Funded Research Assistant : Geography of Local Revenue Raising, School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol (1993 - 1994)

Committees and reviewing

External Examiner - MSc Geographic Data Science, Department of Geography and Environment, LSE
Editor of Urban Studies journal (Sage Publishing)

Contact Details

OrfordS@cardiff.ac.uk
+44 29208 75272
Glamorgan Building, Room 2.81, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3WA
sbarc|spark, Floor 3, Maindy Road, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ

Funding to tackle challenges facing Wales’ rural communities

External profiles

ORCID