The project

In a first academic article we propose the use of the information contained in street names to measure cultural variables. Focusing on religiosity, we show that people in regions with a higher percentage of religious streets tend to have stronger religious beliefs. (pre-print)

In another recent article, we analyzed more than 15 million street names to measure gender bias in the Spanish street map, finding that only 12% of streets referring to people have a woman’s name. We also find that female streets are relatively scarcer in urban centers and that, concerning new streets, gender bias is lower but still far from parity. (pre-print)

Another piece of research is an analysis of Scottish streets where we find that people who live in areas with street names that commemorate Great Britain, such as ‘Queen’, ‘Royal’, ‘Regent’ or ‘London’, are less likely to identify themselves as Scottish only.

Search apps to visualize the spatial distribution of street names in North America, Europe and Spain and download the underlying dataset.

Summary of the article What do street names tell us, where it was first proposed the use of street names as a source of geographic-specific cultural data for quantitative analysis in social sciences. The article applies this methodology to measuring religiosity at the municipality level.

Friendly summary of the results of the article Gendered Cities, through a dynamic geographic “tour”.

Two useful tools to find and monitor gender bias in street names: an interactive graph that represents the evolution of the proportion of female streets in each municipality, and an interactive map to visualize gender bias in street names (where one can zoom in from the provincial to the street map level).

Interview on Canal Sur, in the programme Andalucía Despierta, 18/10/2022, featuring the results of the article «Gendered cities: Studying urban gender bias through street names».

Back cover of EL PAÍS, 30/06/2021, titled «The street map is a male thing», featuring the results of the article «Gendered cities: Studying urban gender bias through street names». Also in the digital edition at this link.

Story from EL PAÍS, 1/3/2023, titled «The names of the streets portray us: many Virgins, Saints and Nobles, little science and fewer women than men», featuring the applications of the project described in the article «The spatial distribution of the street names: a web app to visualize and download street-name data».

Interview on Radio Televisión Pública de Asturias (RTPA), 14/10/2022, featuring the results of the article «Gendered cities: Studying urban gender bias through street names».

ElDiario.es, 19/9/22, titled «X-ray of the spanish street map: only 12,7% of the streets are named after a woman», featuring the results of the article «Gendered cities».

2022 European Researchers’ Night (Seville), 30/9/2022, a talk entitled «Gendered Cities: Studying urban gender bias through street names».

The Conversation, 12/10/2022, titled «The spanish street map has no woman’s name», featuring the results of the article «Gendered Cities: Studying urban gender bias through street names».

Scottish Express, 15/11/2017, titled «Street name could give clue to your own national identity», featuring the results of the article «What Do Street Names Tell Us? The ‘City-Text’ as Socio-Cultural Data?».

The Scotsman, 15/11/2017, titled «Research finds your street name shows how Scottish you feel», featuring the results of the article «What Do Street Names Tell Us? An Application to Great Britain’s Streets».

Nada es Gratis, 19/04/2018, titled «What do street names tell us and why is it important for the social sciences?». Summary of the results of the article «What Do Street Names Tell Us? The ‘City-Text’ as Socio-Cultural Data?».