Green AWARE: Greenspace Access, Wellbeing, and Resident Equality

With increasing numbers of people living in cities, space is a precious resource, making it challenging to balance the needs of diverse communities. Everyone should have access to greenspace, to meet social, recreational, and health needs, but some groups face additional challenges to visiting their local spaces, particularly those in less affluent areas, ethnic minorities, and women; this is because different people need different things from their local greenspaces.

We need to look in detail at the characteristics of both the greenspaces and those who are(n't) using them, to understand the physical and social barriers faced by different, or intersectional, groups- particularly those who don’t currently use their local greenspaces. This study will be the first of its kind to use both quantitative and qualitative methods which combine a large survey, spatial analysis, and local focus groups, to compare both objective and subjective experiences of greenspace access.

The overall aim of this research is to develop new understanding of intersectional urban greenspace inequality and propose ways in which greenspace can be designed and managed to reduce socio-demographic access inequalities, overcome social and cultural barriers to use, and promote wellbeing, using two cities in West Yorkshire (WY) as a case study. Three research questions (RQs) will be the focus of the project:

RQ1: How does physical proximity to UGS compare to subjective experiences of access, for different locations and social groups?

RQ2: Which physical and social aspects of UGS relate to feelings of access, inclusion, and wellbeing?

RQ3: What policy measures and scales are needed to improve equitable access and enhance UGS benefits, particularly for currently excluded social groups?

Using two cities in West Yorkshire as a case study and working directly with local authorities (Leeds and Bradford City Councils) and community stakeholders, this project will conduct a large survey of greenspace users and non-users in Leeds and Bradford, to identify how different people use the space, the barriers they face, and how to overcome these. This will be combined with spatial data about the local area, to identify physical characteristics of the space through network analysis. Focus groups will help us understand exactly what residents and community organisations need from the spaces. Combining both subjective and objective perspectives will allow us to identify not only which communities of Leeds and Bradford are underserved, but also where provision is falling short of individual needs and expectations, and how changes can be made to improve both physical and social access to greenspace.

This will contribute to academic theories of intersectional inequality and greenspace benefits, as well as feeding directly into local management plans to improve, maintain, and increase accessibility of greenspaces for their many potential users. It will especially look at how greenspaces can be made more welcoming and accessible to those groups who aren't currently using the spaces, to help them gain the many benefits of being around nature and engaging with their local area. We will also create resources for residents to see what is available for them in their local area. While this project is focussed on West Yorkshire, the lessons learned will be applicable far beyond this. The innovative combination of methods also hold potential for future adaption to study intersectional disparities in access to other community assets. We will fully document the survey so it can be applied in other regions, while our policy briefings and extensive networks of researchers and practitioners across the UK and internationally will enable findings to be extrapolated more widely and improve greenspaces for all.

The research implements an innovative mixed-methods approach, combining survey methods and focus groups with innovative geospatial analysis, with potential for future adaption to study intersectional disparities in access to other community assets. The project will develop significant new understanding of UGS access by comparing subjective greenspace access, based on individual reports, with objective measures obtained via mapping techniques- which, to the best of our knowledge, has never been studied at this scale before. It will consider socio-spatial inequalities, focussing on intersectional barriers faced by different social groups (people from low-income areas, ethnic minorities, women). Combining both subjective and objective perspectives will allow us to identify not only which communities of Leeds and Bradford are underserved, but also where provision is falling short of individual needs and expectations, and how changes can be made to improve both physical and social access to greenspace. Stakeholder co-development of the data collection, analyses, and co-authorship of outcomes are intrinsic throughout.