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Green AWARE Project

graphic of people walking in the parkGreen AWARE: Greenspace Access, Wellbeing, and Resident Equality

The Green AWARE project is a collaboration between academics and the University of Leeds, local councils, and community stakeholders, to help us understand how to make green spaces in Leeds and Bradford as beneficial and inclusive as possible, to meet the needs of our fantastic, diverse, local communities.

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.

We’re pleased to be working with Leeds City Council’s Climate Energy and  Green Spaces Department and Bradford City Council’s Parks and Greenspace Department on this project.

Aims and Objectives:

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.

The 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?

Project methodology

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.

Accessibility forum

We’re keen to hear from members of community organisations to join our Parks and Greenspaces Accessibility Forum!

The purpose of this group is to ensure our survey and focus groups are insightful, representative, and inclusive of our diverse communities within Leeds and Bradford. We’d love to speak to representatives of a whole range of organisations, such as neighbourhood groups, Park ‘Friend’s Of’ groups, walking or nature groups, etc, or those that bring together a specific demographic in our local area, such as ethnic minorities, disabled people, or the LGBT+ community, to name a few.

We have opportunities for different activities to ensure your voices and perspectives are heard: through consulting on our survey questions, distributing and advertising the survey, and speaking to us as part of focus group discussions.

If you’re interested or just want to find out more, please get in touch with Vikki Houlden at v.houlden@leeds.ac.uk

The Green AWARE Survey

The Green AWARE Survey is designed to help us understand the experiences, needs, and preferences of the residents of Leeds and Bradford when they choose to use, or not use, their local green spaces. We’re really interested in hearing from people of all backgrounds, as everyone has a different point of view. The survey will be available from early 2025.

Join us on Social

You can find out more about what we’ve been up to recently by following us on X: @GreenAWARE