On Monday 8 June 2026, Yorkshire Universities and Calderdale Council launched a ‘Live Project’ pilot aimed at supporting safer and more inclusive roads across Calderdale and West Yorkshire.
A new collaborative project, funded by Yorkshire and Humber Councils, is supporting efforts to create safer and more inclusive roads across Calderdale and West Yorkshire. The project brings together four graduate consultancy teams from Leeds Beckett University and the University of Bradford to explore the human factors that influence how people use roads and public spaces.
Bringing together behavioural psychology, data analysis and lived experience, this work has the potential to generate practical, evidence-based recommendations that will inform future improvements to road safety.
This project demonstrates how partnership work between local authorities and higher education institutions can help address skills gaps and capacity challenges in the public sector while also shaping people-centred solutions to complex societal issues.
At the launch event, YU Skills Associate John Harrison said:
“We are excited to launch this pilot in partnership with Calderdale Council and provide graduates with the opportunity to work on real-world challenges. It is our hope that this project will generate practical solutions and deliver benefits to our local communities.”
Background
In Autumn 2025, Yorkshire and Humber Local Authority Chief Executives asked Yorkshire Universities to explore how connections between Local Authorities and the higher education sector could be strengthened. This work aims to build leadership capacity and improve graduate recruitment and retention across the public sector. A three-part proposal was put forward, with the ‘Live Project’ pilot conducted in partnership with Calderdale Council serving as the first initiative. This project is funded by Yorkshire and Humber Councils under the Memorandum of Understanding.
