Visualising Värmland
In Sweden, Region Värmland is now able to visualise population demographics on a much more local level than before, with a new digital tool developed as part of the I2I project. This will help the region take a more place-based approach than before.
The tool will help the region visualise the problems of social isolation and loneliness in Värmland.
For example, why are there higher concentrations of people living alone without children in some places compared to others? Where are the small, local areas with increased risks of social isolation and loneliness? The new digital tool provides the answers.
Benefits of visualisation
“This new digital tool has helped us see the problem differently. It will allow us to reach out to these local communities much more closely, especially now during the pandemic”, says project leader for Region Värmland, Fergus Bisset.
“We can develop deeper partnerships with the community organisations already working in these places to tackle this problem together in the next stages of the project”, he says.
In addition to the practical benefits, the digital tool also provides new ways of solving problems for the professionals who work in the area.
Built with open data
The tool was built using publicly available data from the Swedish Central Statistics Bureau.
“I think that this relatively quick and low-cost software prototype shows that digitalisation doesn’t have to be expensive large-scale software implementation or involve big IT consultancies”, says Bisset.
He hopes to be able to build more on this work in the course of the I2I project.
“Hopefully we can learn more from each other and support more of these kinds of cultural changes within our organisations. In doing so we will help reduce social isolation and loneliness across the North Sea Region”, says Bisset.