Kicking off our IMPETUS seminar series
www.nesta.org.uk/project-updates/kicking-off-our-impetus-seminar-series/
www.nesta.org.uk/project-updates/kicking-off-our-impetus-seminar-series/
We ran a data workshop and ‘walkshop’ for London Data Week 2024 to showcase local citizen science initiatives
We hosted two events as part of this year’s London Data Week – a brilliant initiative designed to bring together individuals interested in data for a collaborative, open, and inclusive conversation during the first week of July.
The first event was an interactive workshop on citizen science data, focusing on the practicalities and feasibility of using citizen science data in local contexts. Following the workshop, we orchestrated a ‘data walkshop’- a walking workshop - to bring producers of citizen science data together with those who might use it. As a strategy for research and public engagement, data walkshops are great because they aim to break down hierarchies and create discussions about data based in a shared experience of observing and moving through space.
To achieve meaningful progress on some of the biggest challenges facing society, we need to look beyond the usual suspects and mobilise wider societal collective intelligence. Citizen science involves the public in designing research, gathering data and acting on evidence to achieve both individual behavioural change for those involved and broader societal impact through the new knowledge created.
Nesta’s Centre for Collective Intelligence Design leads the work strand of the IMPETUS citizen science innovation programme focused on policy with and for citizen science. IMPETUS aims to strengthen the ecosystem for citizen science across Europe. It does this by:
These data walks are important because the responsibility for enhancing the policy impact of citizen science cannot solely lie with citizen science initiatives themselves. It also needs to come from decision-makers, and we’re trying to support them throughout our work.
In collaboration with the UCL Citizen Science Academy and Camden Council, we explored a specific area of the London Borough of Camden to showcase how citizen science drives practical changes in the city. This included hearing from pioneering projects such as Good Life Euston, Euston Young Voices, the Phoenix Road Greening Project and the Community Champions Programme.
We were joined on the walk by a wide-ranging group of participants from different local authorities, discussing the practicalities and feasibility of using citizen science data in their local contexts. We also heard from the following projects below in Camden.
Through training programmes, and by using a citizen social science approach, the UCL Citizen Science Academy empowers people to get involved in social action and local decision-making to create change within their own communities. Co-designed with community partners, citizen scientists and policymakers, it aims to understand the barriers for local residents to participate in research. For example, finding routes that allow us to reward participants financially rather than relying on volunteers. The academy has moved from a crowdsourcing approach, where volunteers collect data for large-scale scientific projects, to locally-based projects designed by citizens and academics that collaborate to collect, analyse and act on research findings.
Good Life Euston involves the Institute for Global Prosperity, Camden Council, local voluntary organisation Camden Giving, Lendlease and The Euston Partnership. 22 citizen scientists recruited by Camden Giving designed and conducted research to establish what prosperity means to people living in Euston, London. The research aimed to improve the lives of those citizens producing the work. The resulting data was coded and analysed, feeding into the development of the Good Life Euston Model, a tool to inform regeneration planning in the area.
Euston Young Voices is part of the Good Life Euston initiative to understand the experiences of local communities most affected by regeneration in the area, and to develop a new prosperity and wellbeing index for Euston. Euston Young Voices are young researchers who have been paid and trained as Citizen Social Scientists to identify the local priorities for their community to prosper while major regeneration is underway. They are working to define a set of measures to shape tangible changes in their neighbourhood, and to track the impact of major changes that are planned for Euston over the coming 20-30 years.
Phoenix Road Greening Project is a London Borough of Camden project led by LDA Design to create a green link that benefits communities, the local environment and the local area. The project team works closely with local residents, businesses and organisations to help shape designs for Phoenix Road. Each stage of the project builds on information from previous engagements and studies. The project aims to work together to tackle challenges and develop real solutions to ensure Phoenix Road becomes an inclusive and vibrant space at the heart of a safe, strong and open community.
The Community Champions Programme is a four-year programme to deliver resident-led approaches to health and wellbeing. Launched in March 2020, the project is focussed on housing estates in three areas in the Borough of Camden, with community organisations hosting projects in Kilburn (SHAK), Kentish Town (Elfrida Rathbone) and Regent's Park (Fitzrovia Youth in Action). Over the last four years the community champions programme has delivered a wide range of activities and events designed to improve health and wellbeing. Central to the programme is the idea that community-led approaches can enable individuals and communities to make change for themselves and in doing so, they may experience improved health outcomes and greater wellbeing.
These events are the first in a series we’re hosting over the next year and a half to connect decision-makers with the citizen science community, and raise awareness about the benefits of participatory practices in research and innovation.
The next IMPETUS online webinar is on the topic of Citizen Science, Mobility and Urban Planning on Wednesday 23 October 2024 12:30-14:00 GMT.
This 1.5 hour online webinar seeks to explore how citizen science has been used in an urban context to address questions of mobility in the city, and how citizen science data has subsequently been used in urban planning.
It is for local authorities, municipalities, public sector organisations and anyone interested in working with citizen science data. The event aims to provide participants with practical tools, resources and insights for using citizen science in their work.
