This summer the Geography department is hosting a Nuffield
student. Nuffield studentships give sixth form students the chance to work in a
university for several weeks in the summer helping with a research project and
learning what conducting university research is really like.
Alexandra
Asvestapoulou will be working with Dr Joanna Wright and Dr Janet Jackson on the
quality and connectedness of cycling facilities in Northampton.
This
pilot study will focus on cycle routes to and from the station, town centre and
university campuses, and ties in to other research on cycling commuting being
carried out in the department this summer. Alex will be mapping these features
using new GPS units the department acquired this year, and drawing a map of the
facilities and routes using ArcGIS, the industry standard for mapping
software. This is the same software that Northampton students learn to
use in Geography and Environmental science sources, which is part of improving
their career opportunities and employability skills.
Sustainable transport is a
very important part of planning for the new Waterside campus, and for the
future as part of carbon reduction strategies, and this research will compile
information to help improve cycling facilities in Northampton and the rest of
the UK.
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