We were so pleased to be able to hold this launch event to show our local authority partners and fellow academics the Life Survey data visualisation dashboard, developed and presented by the Connected Places Catapult, and discuss the future possibilities this collection of data can give us.
Almost 3000 people from across the Lancaster and Blackburn with Darwen areas responded to our Life Survey, giving us a large data set around such areas as health, wealth and opportunities, sustainability, transport, and travel. As Professor Jo Knight of Lancaster University’s Data Science Institute said in her presentation, it’s not only about the what the data tells us, it is also about the unexpected, what the data doesn’t tell us, what respondents didn’t say.
Our partners from Lancaster City Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council said a few words about the process of developing the survey, how insightful it was, and how – because it was developed with Imagination and the ethos of co-design – it involved people from both councils who wouldn’t normally be part of this type of process. Seeing the initial reports from the data has highlighted surprising similarities between the two councils as well as differences. Both councils view the differences as a strength, which will help inform policy and plans going forward, and they will work together to see how they can use these to test initiatives across both areas and continue working together for the benefit of all their communities. They believe that this data is not only useful in the present, but will also show its true value over the months and years to come.
The Life Survey findings are currently under embargo. Summary findings from the Life Survey and six case studies created in collaboration with Imagination, our local authority partners and Connected Places Catapult will be launched during June 2022.
Leon Cruickshank
Gemma Coupe