HOW AND WHEN SCALE MATTERS: THE MODIFIABLE AREAL UNIT PROBLEM AND INCOME INEQUALITY IN HALIFAX.

Methods for analyzing Canadian neighbourhoods have developed principally from studies of large cities such as Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. Statistical analyses on neighbourhood change in Canada, moreover, have adopted Census Tracts (CTs) as their main geographic units of analysis. However, using CTs as a proxy for neighbourhoods in smaller cities may generate misleading conclusions because such units cover too large an area and potentially mask heterogeneity of populations living within them. This phenomenon is known as the Modifiable Areal Unit Problem (MAUP) and has been investigated by geographers. Data on material, social, and structural conditions of neighbourhoods in Halifax, Nova Scotia from the 2006 Canadian Census are explored to examine the degree of the MAUP in this smaller city and to assess the usefulness of Dissemination Areas as an alternative unit of analysis for small cities. We also offer insight on how the MAUP affects analysis and make suggestions as to how planners can adjust their analyses with this in mind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]