Using financial statement data as economic indicators for urban governance: the case of Antwerp

In this paper, the focus is on the interaction between high-quality urban policy-making on the one hand and the issue of data needs to construct useful indicators on the other hand. Such an approach implies that first an evaluation is to be made of the trends and developments that influence the urban development process structurally in order to distinguish some of the important keystones for a justified urban policy. Having a notion of what the urban cornerstones are and how they relate to one another, attention is then paid to the data that are required to monitor the dynamics of these cornerstones. Given that our focus is mainly on monitoring the urban economic dimension, the use of company-related data at district level (i.e. financial statement data obtained by the National Bank of Belgium) seems an interesting starting point. The data are first described and analysed statistically. Next, the methodological framework to construct a number of economic urban indicators is explained and tested. The city of Antwerp is taken as case study.In deze bijdrage staat de interactie tussen het voeren van een verantwoord stedelijk beleid enerzijds en de vraag naar geschikte gegevens en indicatoren om dat beleid te evalueren en bij te sturen anderzijds centraal. Gegeven deze insteek dienen twee vragen te worden beantwoord. Vooreerst, wat wordt verstaan onder een «verantwoord» stedelijk beleid? Om hierop een afdoend antwoord te formuleren, worden aan de hand van een Europese vergelijking van steden en uit de ervaringen van het Grootstedenbeleid in Nederland een aantal belangrijke stedelijke dimensies (zoals sociale cohesie, leefbaarheid en duurzaamheid, bereikbaarheid, en vitaliteit) onderscheiden die bijzondere aandacht verdienen. Het is daarbij opvallend dat tot op heden voornamelijk de «economische dimensie» in het stedelijk beleid onderbelicht blijft. Wellicht is dit deels te verklaren door het gebrek aan geschikte economische data en databanken op buurtniveau die in staat zijn om de stedelijke vitaliteit op buurtniveau te monitoren. Dit brengt ons meteen bij de tweede vraag: welke economische gegevens en welke databanken kunnen dit euvel mogelijks verhelpen. Hier wordt in hoofdzaak gedacht aan het gebruik van jaarrekeninggegevens verzameld door de Nationale Bank van België. Deze gegevens worden eerst statistisch geanalyseerd, om vervolgens als basis te worden gebruikt voor de constructie van stedelijke economische indicatoren. De gehele procedure wordt uitgewerkt waarbij de Stad Antwerpen als voorbeeld wordt gebruikt

Using financial statement data as economic indicators for urban governance: the case of Antwerp

In this paper, the focus is on the interaction between high-quality urban policy-making on the one hand and the issue of data needs to construct useful indicators on the other hand. Such an approach implies that first an evaluation is to be made of the trends and developments that influence the urban development process structurally in order to distinguish some of the important keystones for a justified urban policy. Having a notion of what the urban cornerstones are and how they relate to one another, attention is then paid to the data that are required to monitor the dynamics of these cornerstones. Given that our focus is mainly on monitoring the urban economic dimension, the use of company-related data at district level (i.e. financial statement data obtained by the National Bank of Belgium) seems an interesting starting point. The data are first described and analysed statistically. Next, the methodological framework to construct a number of economic urban indicators is explained and tested. The city of Antwerp is taken as case study

Thyroid Cancer Incidence around the Belgian Nuclear Sites, 2000–2014

&lt;p&gt;The present study investigates whether there is an excess incidence of thyroid cancer among people living in the vicinity of the nuclear sites in Belgium. Adjusted Rate Ratios were obtained from Poisson regressions for proximity areas of varying sizes. In addition, focused hypothesis tests and generalized additive models were performed to test the hypothesis of a gradient in thyroid cancer incidence with increasing levels of surrogate exposures. Residential proximity to the nuclear site, prevailing dominant winds frequency from the site, and simulated radioactive discharges were used as surrogate exposures. No excess incidence of thyroid cancer was observed around the nuclear power plants of Doel or Tihange. In contrast, increases in thyroid cancer incidence were found around the nuclear sites of Mol-Dessel and Fleurus; risk ratios were borderline not significant. For Mol-Dessel, there was evidence for a gradient in thyroid cancer incidence with increased proximity, prevailing winds, and simulated radioactive discharges. For Fleurus, a gradient was observed with increasing prevailing winds and, to a lesser extent, with increasing simulated radioactive discharges. This study strengthens earlier findings and suggests increased incidences in thyroid cancer around two of the four Belgian nuclear sites. Further analyses will be performed at a more detailed geographical level.&lt;/p&gt;</p