Street Voice: GCHU team sets up Citizens’ Jury on Oxford transport proposals
A team of researchers, led by the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation based at Kellogg, is organising a Citizens’ Jury to help answer important questions about how people can travel where they need to in Oxford in a climate-friendly way that promotes health.
A number of proposals aimed at influencing how people travel have been announced in Oxford, with a wide range of views on the merits of the proposals.
The Citizens’ Jury is an opportunity for local residents to understand each other’s views and experiences, and to try to reach decisions that people can agree on about how to make Oxford an inclusive, fair and safe place to move around. Citizens’ Juries are a tried and tested, inclusive and balanced method that help communities solve local problems.
2000 households in Headington, Barton, Sandhills, Northway, Quarry and Risinghurst have been invited to register their interest in taking part. 16 local residents from all walks of life will be chosen by “civic lottery” to form the “jury” to reflect the population of Oxford in terms of age, sex, ethnicity, disability, deprivation and concern about climate change.
Jury members will hear a range of evidence and views on issues to do with how people travel within the city, how it affects people’s health and the climate, and the problems and benefits that can come with changing how people travel. They will listen to the information presented, share their views and ideas, and work together to explore ways forward.
An independent action research project, the jury members will develop recommendations for Oxfordshire County Council.
Principal Investigator, Dr David Howard (Associate Professor in Sustainable Urban Development and Co-Director of the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation and Fellow at Kellogg College) said: “We are delighted that Oxfordshire County Council has endorsed this process and has agreed to listen to, and respond to, the recommendations. The Cabinet has agreed to use the recommendations to inform future decisions on how to address the impacts of transport on climate and health in Oxford.”