Utilising open data to enhance park safety for women and girls in Bradford

Start date: 1 October 2024
End date: 31 July 2025
Value: £73,851
Partners and collaborators: Bradford Metropolitan District Council and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.
Primary investigator: Dr Fran Pontin
Co-investigators: Dr Vikki Houlden, Dr Anna Barker

This project will build on the Safer Parks work between the University of Leeds and West Yorkshire Mayor to utilise open-source spatial data to identify areas in parks that promote safety for women and girls, as well as highlight areas needing improvement. The findings will be displayed in an open web app accessible to local councils, ‘Friends of’ and community organisations.

Initially focusing on Bradford parks, the project aims to provide valuable data for community plans, accessibility audits, and urban design improvements, with a methodology designed to be reproducible across the UK.

Open spatial data capturing priorities for improving feelings of safety for women and girls as identified in the ‘What makes a park feel safe or unsafe?’ report will be captured, including measures of park layout and access, lighting, vegetation, crime rates and, where possible data, on the presence of other park users through information on organised groups and events.

Combining these elements into interactive maps of parks which can be used to highlight areas that already promote feelings of safety, identify feasible ‘quick-win’ improvements, and suggest areas for future investment enhancing the overall safety and usability of parks.

Project website

https://www.leeds.ac.uk/policy-leeds/doc/policy-support-fund