Dr Fran Pontin is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Law and a Lecturer in the School of Geography at the University of Leeds, UK. Her work sits at the intersection of spatial data science, urban planning, and social justice, with a focus on developing ethical and reproducible approaches to using data to address societal challenges. Fran’s research explores how open, smart, and participatory data can reveal inequalities in how people experience and navigate urban environments, particularly in relation to gender, health, safety, and access to public space.
She co-leads the Safer Parks Dashboard project, which combines spatial data with lived experiences to support evidence-based decisions on safer and more inclusive public spaces for women and girls. Through this work, Fran examines how fear of violence and perceptions of safety shape mobility patterns, access to green space, and active travel. Her broader research interests include gender-sensitive urban planning, participatory approaches to spatial data, and the use of digital technologies to support more equitable and inclusive cities.