Covid-19 and the Outdoors
Community Participatory Action Research, 2022
This community-centred project investigated how the Covid-19 pandemic reshaped relationships between communities and outdoor public space in Southampton. Working as a Community Participatory Action Researcher, I led a small-scale qualitative inquiry focused on access, care, and use of local green spaces during lockdown and its aftermath.
I developed the research question, designed the methodology, and carried out the fieldwork using walking interviews as a tool for situated, embodied knowledge exchange. These interviews allowed for real-time, relational reflections from participants as they moved through outdoor spaces, surfacing rich insights into how green space was experienced differently across social, cultural, and economic lines during the pandemic.
Through thematic analysis of the data, I drew out key concerns including spatial inequality, accessibility, care infrastructure, and the importance of everyday nature for wellbeing and connection. I then developed a report and including a set of actionable recommendations, subsequently disseminating these to local authorities and community organisations, to inform future public health and planning strategies.
The project was part of a broader national initiative led by The Young Foundation to train and support place-based researchers to address issues relevant to their communities. As part of this work, I completed a Level 3 Certificate in Community Participatory Action Research, gaining formal recognition of my skills in ethical, inclusive, and collaborative research design and delivery.
