Changes in the spatial patterns of ethnic diversity and residential segregation are often highly localized, but inconsistencies in geographical data units across different time points limit their exploration. In this paper, we argue that, while they are often over-looked, population grids provide an effective means for the study of long-term fine-scale changes. Gridded data represent population structures: there are gaps where there are no people, and they are not (unlike standard zones) based on population distributions at any one time point. This paper uses an innovative resource, PopChange, which provides spatially fine-grained (1 km by 1 km) gridded data on country of birth (1971–2011) and ethnic group (1991–2011). These data enable insight into micro-level change across a long time period. Exploring forty years of change over five time points, measures of residential ethnic diversity and segregation are employed here to create a comprehensive ‘atlas’ of ethnic neighbourhood change across the whole of Britain. Four key messages are offered: (1) as Britain’s ethnic diversity has grown, the spatial complexity of this diversity has also increased, with greater diversity in previously less diverse spaces; (2) ethnic residential segregation has steadily declined at this micro-scale; (3) as neighbourhoods have become more diverse, they have become more spatially integrated; (4) across the whole study period, the most dynamic period of change was between 2001 and 2011. While concentrating on Britain as a case study, the paper explores the potential offered by gridded data, and the methods proposed to analyse them, for future allied studies within and outside this study area.

种族多样性和居住隔离的空间格局变化往往是高度局部化的，但不同时间点地理数据单元的不一致限制了他们的探索。在本文中，我们认为，虽然人口网格经常被忽视，但它们为研究长期精细尺度变化提供了有效的手段。网格数据代表人口结构：没有人的地方就有间隙，而且它们不是（与标准区域不同）基于任何一个时间点的人口分布。本文使用了一种创新资源PopChange，它提供了出生国（1971-2011）和种族群体（1991-2011）的空间细粒度（1 km x 1 km）网格数据。这些数据可以洞察长期内微观层面的变化。通过探索四十年来五个时间点的变化，这里采用了居住种族多样性和隔离的衡量标准，创建了整个英国种族社区变化的综合“地图集”。报告提出了四个关键信息：（1）随着英国种族多样性的增长，这种多样性的空间复杂性也增加了，在以前不太多样化的空间中出现了更大的多样性； (2) 微观尺度上的种族居住隔离稳步下降； （3）随着社区变得更加多样化，它们在空间上变得更加一体化； (4)在整个研究期间，变化最活跃的时期是2001年至2011年。本文以英国为案例研究，探讨了网格数据所提供的潜力，以及提出的分析方法，以供未来参考。本研究领域内外的联合研究。