Human Fieldwork - Gloucester Docks and Quays

what is the route to enquiry

question / hypothesis —> data collection —> data presentation —> data analysis —> conclusion —> evaluation

key question of human fieldwork

How successful has the urban regeneration of Gloucester Docks / Quays been?

Hypotheses tested (4)

• Docks area visited by people living within 10 miles of the site

• Highest footfall / head count is cloest to Gloucester’s CBD - the northern end of the Docks

• Main reason to visit this part of Gloucester is for shopping, mainly clothes.

• Main use of buildings in the Docks / Quays area is retail.

Data collection methods used (4)

• Pedestrian count using a stopwatch

• Mapping function - GOAD map of ground floor functions, what each building is used for

• Questionnaire - postcode, reason for visit, frequency, transport

• Environmental survey - scoring system used 1-5 for categories like cleanliness, greenery, etc.

Conclusion of building function hypothesis

hypothesis was correct. GOAD map shows that around 50% of the buildings are used for retail

Pros of GOAD map (2), cons (1)

• easy to just look at a building; no equipment needed

• multiple colours makes map easy to interpret and spot trends

• only ground floor function noted - could be different functions on different floors - our data is not fully representative

how did we present the pedestrian count?

an isoline map

conclusion of pedestrian count

hypothesis that highest footfall is closest to Gloucester’s CBD - northern end of Docks - was incorrect. highest footfalls were in the west and south Docks, near the college and Quays at lunchtime.

pros (2) and cons (3) of data collection and presentation of pedestrian count

• everyone collected data at same time (1:30pm) to avoid double counting people

• isoline maps show us lines of equal values, so easy to identify core and periphery areas

• didn’t use a tape measure for the 20m radius, so data may not be consistent

• results are a snapshot, not representative of all times of the day / year. would get different results if repeated

• can be difficult to link areas of similar values on isoline maps

pros (2) and cons (2) of data collection and presentation of environmental quality survey

• discussed in groups before giving final score

• colour scale / gradient means easy to spot trends and interpret

• entirely opinion-based and subjective - could be unreliable

• dependent on time of year

how was the reason for visit questionnaire data collection presented

as a bar graph

conclusion of reason to visit questionnaire

hypothesis that main reason people visit Docks / Quays is shopping was incorrect. main reason was actually work.

pros (1) and cons (3) of data collection and presentation of questionnaire

• clearly shows main reasons people visit Docks / Quays; trends easy to spot - longer bar = more people

• small sample size - only 10 people asked, may not be representative of the whole Docks / Quays

• only shows data for a single day - data could change depending on time, day, week, month, etc

• broad categories (eg ‘ miscellaneous’); hides specific data of questionnaire

has regeneration of Docks and Quays been successful?

Yes:

• buildings mostly used for retail - higher economic activity

• high pedestrian counts in regenrated areas - people spend more money

• people willing to travel more than 10 miles to visit = large sphere of influence

• people coming for work - also points to higher economic activity

• High EQS scores in regenerated areas - appealing