Life Expectancy Along the Tube in London

With the London Olympics about to start, Justin Stoler at the University of Miami suggested that this was a good time to link to a recent study by James Chesire at CASA (Center for Advanced Spatial Analysis) at University College London. The study shows life expectancy around each of the stops along the London Underground (the Tube), with the catchy title of "Lives on the Line." Even in as wealthy a city as London, there are considerable spatial inequalities or gaps in longevity, in ways that appear to Cheshire to be generally consistent with people's expectations (no pun intended).

Whilst the average life expectancy predictions show that today’s children are expected to live longer, the range is startling. For the stations mapped, it is over 20 years with those around Star Lane (on the DLR) predicted to live, on average, for 75.3 years in contrast to 96.38 years for those around Oxford Circus. The smaller disparities are no less striking. For example, between Lancaster Gate and Mile End (20 minutes on the Central line) life expectancy decreases by 12 years and crossing the Thames between Pimlico and Vauxhall sees life expectancy drop by 6 years. The stations serving the Olympic Park fair badly and contrast with the Olympic volleyball venue at Earl’s Court whose spectators will be passing through areas with far higher life expectancies and lower child poverty.

And, of course, you knew I couldn't resist it: Mind the gap!