A COMMUNITY research project to tell the stories embedded in the culture of Southampton’s streets and neighbourhoods has launched.

We Make Southampton (WMS) has created the ‘Is this street made for me?’ initiative, which will use films made from residents' perspectives.

WMS has collaborated with the University of Southampton.

Claudia Murg, founder and executive director of WMS, said: “Our project, which is the first community collaboration supported by the University of Southampton, aims to capture and map the health of our streets within the SO14-19 postcodes.

“We’re calling on Southampton residents of all ages and walks of life to get in touch to share what they like or dislike about their streets, their experience of the roads they use on a regular basis to go to shops, work, school and their favourite places. From these submissions, we will select 10 individuals to feature in short films. These and the findings will then be unveiled at a special cinema showing in the city in December.

“We want to explore how the environment created by street design, facilities and the behaviour of fellow road users, impacts on our physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing. Even though screens and the internet dominate so much of our lives, especially since the pandemic, streets are still an essential part of how we connect or disconnect from each other.

“We’d like to understand what residents would like to improve or change: from street closures around school drop off and pick up time to organising a street party to having a new zebra crossing or traffic calming measures installed. Or if they have been involved in any successful action to change something on their streets."

The project is being run in collaboration with and supported by University of Southampton experts Dr Alan Wong, Dr Tony Curran and Dr Ronda Gowland-Pryde.

Dr Wong said: “When Claudia told me about this project, I was very excited to hear what she is planning to do and how we can engage the wider community here in Southampton to understand the importance of our streets, and the extent to which they reflect and satisfy our daily needs and activities, as well as our ‘sense of place’ or belonging. Streets and neighbourhoods are the backbone of our communities, and her work will no doubt help to inform how we can make our city even more vibrant, inclusive and accessible to everyone in the future.

“I think this important ‘citizen science’ project will also build on the previous knowledge we have gained through the ‘Metamorphosis’ project, which showcased a number of innovative child-friendly and ‘liveable streets’ trials lead by the City Council and six continental European cities.

"As well as the ‘Metamorphosis Global’ project, which focused on one in Bangladesh. I therefore hope her work will translate into similar change and real impact for the people living here in Southampton, and I would urge you to get involved and support the project.”