Redefining Urban Boundaries for Health Planning Through an Equity Lens: A Socio-Demographic Spatial Analysis Model in the City of Rome

Elena Mazzalai, Susanna Caminada, Lorenzo Paglione () and Livia Maria Salvatori
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Elena Mazzalai: Health District III, ASL Roma 1, 00193 Rome, Italy
Susanna Caminada: Health District III, ASL Roma 1, 00193 Rome, Italy
Lorenzo Paglione: Department of Prevention, ASL Roma 1, 00193 Rome, Italy
Livia Maria Salvatori: Health District III, ASL Roma 1, 00193 Rome, Italy

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 8, 1-48

Abstract: Urban health planning requires a multi-scalar understanding of the territory, capable of capturing socio-economic inequalities and health needs at the local level. In the case of Rome, current administrative subdivisions—Urban Zones ( Zone Urbanistiche )—are too large and internally heterogeneous to serve as effective units for equitable health planning. This study presents a methodology for the territorial redefinition of Rome’s Municipality III, aimed at supporting healthcare planning through an integrated analysis of census sections. These were grouped using a combination of census-based socio-demographic indicators (educational attainment, employment status, single-person households) and real estate values (OMI data), alongside administrative and road network data. The resulting territorial units—21 newly defined Mesoareas—are smaller than Urban Zones but larger than individual census sections and correspond to socio-territorially homogeneous neighborhoods; this structure enables a more nuanced spatial understanding of health-related inequalities. The proposed model is replicable, adaptable to other urban contexts, and offers a solid analytical basis for more equitable and targeted health planning, as well as for broader urban policy interventions aimed at promoting spatial justice.

Keywords: urban health planning; spatial equity; health inequalities; spatial justice; urban governance; health service planning (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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