Local communities in data

The design and quality of streets, public spaces and local infrastructure shape how people move through, use and experience their local areas. National data makes it possible to examine these dynamics at a local level, revealing how everyday community experiences vary between places.

This relationship is explored in the Centre for Social Justice’s Pillars of Community report. Drawing on UK Data Service aggregate census data alongside a survey of 5,000 people, it develops an index of community strength, mapping how levels of connection vary across the UK.

The analysis highlights the importance of being able to move freely within local areas and the role of shared spaces in enabling interaction and connection. This work has informed the UK Government’s impact assessment for the Renters’ Rights Bill, as discussed in a post on the Data Impact blog.

National datasets can also be repurposed to answer local questions about public space. Christina Giasemidis, winner of the UK Data Service Dissertation Award 2025, used data accessed through the UK Data Service to develop an index mapping how safe different areas of Leeds feel for women at night, revealing strong neighbourhood-level variation.

Access to different types of space also shapes who benefits from community life. Using Understanding Society data, William Holy-Hasted’s case study found that access to green space was positively associated with wellbeing across all housing tenures in London.

However, access is not evenly distributed. In her blog post, Georgia Cronshaw uses the Millenium Cohort Study to examine the relationship between green space deprivation and children’s developmental outcomes, finding that children growing up in more disadvantaged neighbourhoods are more likely to live with limited or lower-quality green space.

Together, these examples show how the design and accessibility of streets, spaces and infrastructure shape everyday community experience. By enabling local patterns to be identified within robust national datasets, the UK Data Service supports evidence-led decisions that remain grounded in local context and responsive to local priorities.

Forms of social infrastructure – including trust, civic participation and volunteering – play an important role in shaping how safe and supported people feel in their communities.

The importance of these social conditions is reflected in UK Government policy, including the Pride in Place Strategy, which aims to strengthen people’s connection to where they live by improving civic participation, community identity and sense of belonging. Pride in Place builds on earlier frameworks, including the previous administration’s Levelling Up Agenda.

From UK Data Service data to policy impact:

The Levelling Up White Paper drew directly on UK Data Service data. It uses the Annual Population Survey, to examine geographic differences in civic participation, community cohesion and sense of belonging. This demonstrates how national data, available through the UK Data Service, contributes to the evidence base for policy aimed at strengthening social infrastructure.

Volunteering is a key part of this picture. Analysis using Understanding Society data, discussed in a post on the Data Impact blog, shows that people who volunteer experience lower levels of mental distress and higher quality of life than non-volunteers, with particularly lasting benefits for older adults. These benefits are observed across both more and less deprived neighbourhoods, and the findings have been linked to the NHS long term plan and the promotion of social prescribing.

Participation, however, is unevenly distributed. A further blog post on research into civic involvement, using Understanding Society data, shows that people experiencing material deprivation are less likely to engage in civic activities, highlighting how practical and structural barriers that can limit involvement in community life.

Taken together, these insights highlight that trust, participation and community life are shaped by both personal circumstances and wider structural conditions. UK Data Service data helps to show where participation is strongest, where barriers persist, and how policy and practice can better support inclusive and connected communities.

Community safety is a national priority, reflected in the UK Government’s Safer Streets Mission and commitments to reduce violence, tackle anti-social behaviour and halve Violence Against Women and Girls within a decade. Understanding how risks are experienced across communities requires attention to different forms of harm and how they vary between people and places.

Pedestrian and cyclist safety on roads

Research using National Travel Survey data, discussed in a case study and post on the Data Impact blog, demonstrates how national data can reveal gaps between official statistics and lived experience. This analysis by Rachel Aldred showed that self-reported road injuries among pedestrians and cyclists were around five times higher than figures captured in official records.

From UK Data Service data to policy impact:

Rachel Aldred’s research has informed parliamentary inquiries into road traffic safety and active travel, contributed to international work by the Organisation for Economic and Co-operation and Development International Transport Forum and shaped analysis within the UK Government’s Department for Transport’s support for victims of road traffic incidents and local planning.

Crime and policing

Alongside road safety, national data is essential for understanding experiences of crime and victimisation. The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) provides one of the most comprehensive pictures of crime in the UK, capturing both reported and unreported incidents.

The UK Data Service also supports collaboration and learning around these data. The annual Crime Surveys User Conference brings together stakeholders from across the data landscape to share findings, discuss methodological developments and demonstrate use in practice.

In a blog post, Stephen Farrall reflects on the depth of insight offered by these long-running national surveys. With more than 35 years of data, repeated cross-sectional surveys such as the CSEW and the British Social Attitudes Survey can now be analysed longitudinally to provide new insight into generational change in victimisation and perceptions of safety.

Other kinds of harm

Not all harm is experienced in public space. National data also sheds light on risks within the home and in digital environments. Harm within the domestic environment is a key component of national efforts to improve community safety and to reduce Violence Against Women and Girls.

A case study using the CSEW found that alcohol-related violence disproportionately affects people in lower socioeconomic groups, with domestic abuse contributing to wider patterns of victimisation.

These findings have informed the Commission on Alcohol Harm Inquiry and have contributed to parliamentary debates on domestic abuse policy, including informing UK Government’s COVID-19 strategy to tackle domestic abuse and appointment of the domestic abuse commissioner. This then informed the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.

Patterns of harm continue to evolve as digital technologies become more embedded in daily life. The children and young people in data theme brings together research exploring how these changes are shaping young people’s lives, including the role of social media on mental health.

From UK Data Service data to policy impact:

UK Data Service-supported research on cybercrime has informed both national policy and international guidance. Government reviews drawing on UK Data Service data have contributed to the Interpol’s National Cybercrime Strategy Guidebook, strengthening understanding of the wider societal impacts of different forms of cybercrime.

In parallel, UK Government-commissioned analysis using the CSEW has informed the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, progressing through Parliament in early 2026, which aims to strengthen cyber security and resilience across critical sectors.

Together, these examples show how national data can reveal complex and changing patterns of safety, harm and prevention across communities. UK Data Service datasets support a more joined-up understanding of community safety and inform policy responses that can be targeted, preventative and locally relevant.