How community researchers are helping us assess Healthy Streets

Community research in the time of Coronavirus

Justin points out that conducting this kind of research during a pandemic has not been without its challenges. “initially I found it a bit daunting approaching strangers on the street to talk, especially in the current climate.” 

To help overcome Coronavirus obstacles and engage a cross-section of residents, Community Researchers have used a variety of techniques from observations, to reaching out to existing contacts. Shamima says “I carry out my research by going to areas where there is space for social distancing. I also interview my neighbours and ask them if they know anyone who would like to talk to me about their experiences and if they are out and they see me then they would send the person my way.  If the weather isn’t so great then I would carry out observations from my window, I can see part of St Giles Road and Peckham road so this helps me with putting together my research too.”

While Paul “wanted to focus on getting the micro-local opinions from the people directly affected and not necessarily represented by the pressure groups, so I focussed on local WhatsApp groups, working with my neighbours and sitting on the side of the street to observe who is going where. I also stopped pedestrians and cyclists where that seemed reasonable.”

Healthy streets are “a Marmite issue”

The research is being carried out over a period of five weeks, to see if residents’ experiences and opinions change over time. At the end of this period, the findings will be submitted to Southwark Council alongside data on how people use the streets and the flow of motorised vehicles and cycles. 

It’s too early to draw conclusions, but Justin says “I’ve found that the initial feedback to the healthy street changes has been very mixed. Some feel that the changes are a total waste of time and money whilst one person thought that they were the best thing that Southwark Council has ever done.” Paul’s initial impressions have also been polarised “People either like it or hate it. Around here it seems to be a Marmite issue.” Whilst Shamima had “got the impression that people were stressed” and “wanted their streets to be back to the way it was originally.” 

What is clear is that we’re likely to get a mixed response from the research, and this might not align with the behaviour and traffic flow data. For example, the data might show more people walking and cycling in some streets after the changes were made, but the opinions collected by Community Researchers might tell a different story. Activity, behaviours, perceptions and opinions can be contradictory, and traditional consultation practices don’t reach all parts of a community, and so the community research approach can help to deliver a richer and more nuanced evaluation.

This project sits within a wider portfolio of projects for our children’s health and food and air pollution programmes and is one of several important steps towards reducing the health gap that affects so many families in our communities.