Photo: Katia Soland

There is a wealth of freely available data from public offices and organisations in Switzerland. However, the added value these data offer is far from fully realised, says Ross Purves, Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Zurich. Unlocking more potential from these datasets is just one of the goals he pursues with the Public Data Lab.

Ross, how would you explain to someone outside of the field what indicators are?

Ross: Put simply, indicators are usually numerical outputs, meaning they are often expressed in one or more figures. Indicators summarise complex processes and make them understandable, whether for policymakers or citizens. They can be measured or calculated repeatedly, allowing for comparisons over time or against target values. A single measurement or value wouldn’t reveal much on its own. It’s also important to note that indicators are not meant to describe individual people, but rather to show how a phenomenon — be it social, societal, or environmental — behaves across space and over time.

Do you have an example of an indicator?

My students developed indicators in a course during the spring semester of 2025, for example, one for sleep quality in the canton of Zurich. They incorporated data on noise, light, and temperature into this indicator, as all three are correlated with sleep quality: The more noise and light, and the higher the temperature, the worse the potential sleep quality. They also examined how potential sleep quality varies across the populated areas of the canton: Where is sleep likely to be good, and where is it likely to be poor?

You conduct research on indicators, why?

I’m interested in research on indicators because well-designed, effective indicators can contribute to a better society. One example: An indicator of prosperity in terms of inequality could help develop concrete measures to address that inequality. I also see a growing interest from students. Today’s students increasingly want to work on projects with social relevance. I see this in our course on environmental indicators, which is very popular and often leads to ideas for Master’s theses. For such theses, collaboration with the canton of Zurich is ideal, as students can apply their creativity and methodological skills while also receiving input and feedback from practitioners. There’s also a clear need from politics and society. Political decision-makers rely on evidence-based foundations. They can’t make decisions based on gut feeling, they need to justify their choices. Especially when resources are limited, indicators can help because they convey more than raw data. A well-known example is the child mortality indicator in the Global South. The child mortality rate has dropped significantly, showing how effective measures like vaccination, nutrition, and education can be.

Indicators are also the focus of the Public Data Lab (PDL), which you initiated. How did you come up with the idea?

Two observations led me to the idea. First, here in Switzerland, we have access to a vast amount of high-quality data. These data are collected by various institutions and organisations for specific purposes. The problem is that we do not make full use of the added value of these datasets. We still rarely combine them, for example into indicators, to gain deeper insights into complex phenomena.
At the same time, I noticed that there’s often a lack of understanding about indicators: what they are, what they can do, and also what they can’t do. As a result, the discourse around what we measure, how we measure, and how we interpret data remains superficial. These were the two points I wanted to address. My initial idea was to connect science and practice, for example by inspiring students to engage with indicators and the discourse around them. I then thought further about what else I could do and came up with the idea of the Public Data Lab, which I discussed with people from various fields. When the DIZH (Digitalisation Initiative of the Zurich Higher Education Institutions) announced its structural funding call, I felt it was a good fit, as DIZH specifically seeks projects that combine research and practice and apply innovative methods to digital data.

“Space is what brings data together and holds it because almost everything happens in space.”

Ross Purves

What is your role within the Public Data Lab (PDL), and what is your contribution?

I coordinate the activities of the Public Data Lab and act as a link between the partners. It’s important to me that our collective output is more than just the sum of its parts, that’s my organisational contribution. But we also make a scientific contribution: in our research group Geocomputation in the Department of Geography at the University of Zurich, we focus heavily on geoinformation, meaning spatial data. Space is what brings data together and holds it because almost everything happens in space. Louis Moser, a member of our group, will be developing an indicator for multiple deprivation. In everyday language, one might say poverty, but poverty has many dimensions, it’s not just about having little or no income. The indicator for multiple deprivation is part of one of four flagship projects within the Public Data Lab.

Can you roughly explain how the new indicator for multiple deprivation will be developed?

There is already research on indicators of poverty and deprivation in Switzerland and other countries, and we will partly build on that. At the same time, we know that the indicator must take local conditions into account. In remote areas, for example, someone without a car has poorer access to many services such as medical care, shops, etc. In the canton of Zurich, we’ll first need to identify which categories are relevant and measurable. These may include: education, health, income, wealth, access to services such as green spaces, leisure activities, public transport, or the housing market. The relevant ones will be determined through a participatory process with our societal partners. Participatory here means that we as researchers don’t make the decisions alone. It’s a process involving the public, policymakers, and decision-makers. The key questions are: Do these phenomena relate to deprivation? If so, how do they influence each other? And how much weight should each one carry?

“Which phenomena cannot be counted or statistically captured? When is counting pointless? What do we overlook when we try to count?”

Ross Purves

What is your goal?

I have several (laughs). Together with the canton of Zurich and Opendata.ch, we want to develop concrete indicators that don’t yet exist, to fill data and knowledge gaps. Another goal is to foster discussion about indicators, not just within academia or public administration, but also with politicians and citizens, to promote understanding of indicators: What can indicators do? What can’t they do, or where are their limits? A third goal is to not only view indicators as quantitative tools, but also to examine them qualitatively: Which phenomena cannot be counted or statistically captured? When is counting pointless? What do we overlook when we try to count? It’s also very important to me that students get closer to practice by working on projects with and for the canton. Many of the PDL’s goals involve art, because it offers a different approach to indicators. Art helps us, for example, to question indicators or to engage with different people about them and build understanding. I’m excited and curious to see what will come out of it.

Where do you see challenges?

One challenge in interdisciplinary projects is finding a common language. We may use the same words, but they mean different things to each of us. How can we understand one another? How can we collaborate in a way that pulls in the same direction, while still allowing the strengths of each individual and each discipline to shine? Different expectations come come together in a project. In science, it’s normal for things not to work perfectly. We’ll try things out and realise that some things aren’t yet possible with the current data and tools. A critical examination of indicators can lead to improvements — but also to tensions, especially when we realise that indicators don’t make sense in a particular context.

The Public Data Lab has only just started. What’s next?

We’re currently setting everything up that we’ve planned for the duration of the project. The flagship projects — and the PhD students involved — have either already begun or will do so in the coming months. We’re planning a launch event and other activities such as public lectures, networking events, and makeathons. At the same time, there’s room for additional contributors and their ideas. For example, we’re offering policy sabbaticals for experts and residencies for artists from other parts of Switzerland or Europe, and we’re looking forward to an intensive exchange. These experiences will certainly shape our path going forward.

Ross Purves has been a professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Zurich since 2011. He is an expert in the analysis of geographic information, with a focus on the environment and landscape. He has made significant contributions to innovation in the field of Geographic Information Retrieval (GIR), which involves searching and analysing texts for geographic information. He is also interested in the modelling, representation, and analysis of geographic information in relation to vagueness, ambiguity, and uncertainty. Additionally, he explores how novel data sources can be used to develop indicators. To this end, he works closely with representatives from public administration and the private sector.