6.5 - Urban fieldwork

Urban enquiry questions

Urban enquiry questions

1. How does environmental quality in Llandudno change with distance from the north shore?

2. How does land use in Llandudno change with distance from the north shore?

Why Llandudno?

• Location can be reached within day trip from Manchester

• Data collection for coastal + urban can be carried out on same field trip

• Shows range of diff land uses + environmental quality

• Safe location, with low levels of traffic within study area

Examples of aims of enquiry

• An investigation into the environmental impact of a new road/housing estate/business park in the city of Y

• An investigation into changes in land use on the urban-rural fringe of the city of X

• An investigation into environmental quality from the CBD to the urban fringe in the city of W

Hypothesis

Statements that are tested through fieldwork

e.g. Environmental quality improves with distance from CBD

Null hypothesis

Statement that is opposite to hypothesis

• Ensures no bias when collecting evidence

  • Not ignoring evidence because it doesn’t prove statement

• If you can’t prove statement, then opposite must be true

• e.g. Environmental quality does not improve with distance from CBD

True sampling will:

• Reduce bias

• Provide overview of whole

Opportunistic approach

Opportunistic sampling

Approach may need to be taken in situations where access to sample site is limited

Should be as close as possible to site selected using sampling

Systematic sampling

Sampling of sites/people at regular intervals along transect line

Random sampling

All sites have equal chance of being selected

Stratified sampling

Sampling sites which represent whole

e.g. if 10% of population is over 65 then 10% of questionnaire sample should be over 65

Site locations

Can be recorded using GPS to give accurate location using latitude + longitude

Grid reference + compass points can also be used

Equipment for urban enquiry

• Record sheets

• Interview sheets

• Pencil for completing record sheets

• Camera to take photos of land use

• Digital noise meter

• Environmental Quality Surveys

• Maps

Urban risks

• Weather conditions

• Working in unfamiliar place

• Traffic

• Getting lost

• Speaking to strangers

• Pollution

• Cars

Data collection

Data collection methods depend on aims/hypothesis

In urban fieldwork, only equipment to use is digital decibel meter

Other data collection may include questionnaires, traffic counts, environmental quality surveys

Questionnaires

Used to gather opinions of locals on change in urban environment

• Example of statement question

  • 'The building of the new housing estate has increased traffic.' Do you strongly agree, agree, disagree or strongly disagree?’

• Example of closed question

  • 'How long have you lived in this area?'

• Example of open question

  • 'What are your views on the new housing development in ____?'

• These can be used to gather large data sample

Environmental Quality Surveys

Can be used to compare diff sites within urban area

• Survey completed for each site

• Care must be taken to be as objective as possible

Traffic and Pedestrian Flow Surveys

Can be used to compare traffic + pedestrian levels at diff sample sites

Can be completed on tally chart at diff sites + diff times of day

Photos and Field Sketches

Qualitative data

In urban enquiry, photos + field sketches can be used to show changes in land use + impact on environment at sample sites

Photos useful for illustrating data collection methods used

Primary Data in Urban enquiry

Much of primary data collected in urban enquiry will be presented in graphs:

• Each graph suitable for particular data set

Data presentation may also include maps:

• Sample site location

• Proportional circle maps to show traffic counts at diff sample sites

Bar graphs

To compare environmental quality scores at diff sample sites

Divided bar graphs

Show traffic counts

Scattergraphs

Show relationship between factors such as proximity to land use change and environmental quality of a site

Rose diagrams

Show noise levels

Secondary Data in Urban enquiry

• Historical traffic counts

• Maps of area where land use has changed

• Newspaper articles/websites about land use change

• Aerial photographs

Analysing & Interpreting Data

• Data collected regarding rural environment change, such as EQS + traffic counts is quantitative data, needs to be analysed using statistical methods

• Main statistical method is mean

Analysing Photographs & Field Sketches

Qualitative analysis

Can be used to analyse different features:

• Features of diff land use at sample sites

• Data collection techniques

• Images of land use changes - new housing/road/industry

Conclusion

• Should state whether hypothesis has been proved/disproved

• Identify + explain anomalies, e.g:

  • Sample site that has low traffic count but high levels of noise pollution

• Anomalies may occur due to natural cause or may be result of incorrect recording/human error when using equipment

Evaluation

Outlines how successful/unsuccessful enquiry was and what could be done differently if repeated, e.g:

• Next time, I would take measurements over longer time period to ensure reliability

• I completed EQS on my own, which is subjective, next time I would complete it in groups and take mode score

• I think my investigation went well and I would like to repeat it at another time of year to see if this impacts environmental quality