Open Data project
Utilising Open Data to Enhance Park Safety for Women and Girls in Bradford
This project aims to integrate the Safer Parks: Improving Access for Women and Girls research and guidance into local authorities' decision-making processes by providing a quantitative assessment of park safety using open-source data.
Spatial data will capture priority areas for improving safety including; park layout and access, lighting, vegetation, crime rates, and park user information. This data will be compiled into safety-promoting metrics displayed on an interactive open web open app for local councils, ‘friends of’ and community groups to aid evidence-based decision-making. Interactive maps will highlight the areas that offer feelings of safety and identify ‘quick-win' improvements and future investment needs.
Initially focusing on Bradford parks, the project provides data for community plans, accessibility audits, and urban design improvements, with a reproducible methodology for the UK.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and Bradford Metropolitan District Council (BMDC) are supporting this project.
Research team
Dr Fran Pontin, Senior Research Data Scientist in the Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC), School of Geography.
Dr Vikki Houlden, Lecturer in Urban Data Science, School of Geography.
Dr Anna Barker, Associate Professor in Criminal Justice & Criminology, School of Law.
Anticipated outputs
• A proposal will be published on the Open Science Framework, enhancing the reproducibility of methods in various UK local authority contexts.
• An interactive dashboard will be developed to navigate parks spatially, highlighting safety aspects and intervention areas.
• A Safer Parks blueprint will be created, incorporating indicators and opensource data for improved park safety.
• Citeable open-source code will be released on GitHub, enabling reproducibility of analysis in different spatial contexts.
• A policy brief will outline the dashboard’s applications within local authorities and suggest improvements for park safety for women and girls.
• A research paper will detail the reproducible methodology for quantifying perceived safety measures in parks using open data.
• Workshops will engage key stakeholders to co-produce the dashboard design, ensure usability, future-proof data integration, and disseminate findings.