Geo Fieldwork

State the aim of your human geography fieldwork enquiry in Cardiff Bay.

Our aim was to investigate the success of the Cardiff Bay regeneration project.

Justify the selection of the aim/hypotheses for the Cardiff Bay fieldwork.

• We selected this topic because it met the criteria for a ‘SMART’ aim (Specific, Manageable, Accessible, Relevant, Timely).

• The topic was suitable because it

  • had a clear urban geography focus,

  • was specific to Cardiff Bay,

  • and allowed for data collection on SEE aspects of regeneration.

Describe the location of the Cardiff Bay fieldwork and why it was suitable.

Location: Previously derelict dockland area that received significant investment (£2.4bn). Suitability: - Easy and safe access. - Manageable within time limits for adequate data. - Historical context of deindustrialisation and subsequent regeneration (Cardiff Bay Development Corporation 1987-2000).

State Hypothesis 1 for the Cardiff Bay regeneration enquiry.

There will be no noticeable drop in the environmental quality along the South-North transect across Cardiff Bay.

State Hypothesis 2 for the Cardiff Bay regeneration enquiry.

There will be a wide range of new land uses in Cardiff Bay that are appropriate for local residents and visitors in terms of leisure, housing and employment opportunities.

State Hypothesis 3 for the Cardiff Bay regeneration enquiry.

Responses to a questionnaire about the impacts of the Cardiff Bay regeneration will be largely positive across a stratified sample of age, gender and place of residence.

What was the underpinning geographical theory/concept for the Cardiff Bay fieldwork?

Linked to urban geographical theory: - Need to regenerate run-down brownfield areas. - Variety of social, environmental, economic factors to consider when evaluating regeneration success. - Application of urban models (Burgess, Hoyt) for data analysis.

Explain the rationale for undertaking a risk assessment in your fieldwork.

Necessary because: - We were not experienced researchers. - Fieldwork was in an unfamiliar town. - Potential dangers needed anticipating. Assessment helped mitigate potential dangers in advance.

Describe the scoring system used in your fieldwork risk assessment.

Scoring system: Likelihood (L) x Severity (S). - Score 1-5 for each (1=low, 5=high). - Total score L x S (1-25). - Strategies implemented to reduce risk score to an acceptable level (below 10).

Identify one risk and reduction strategy used in your Cardiff Bay fieldwork.

Risk: Falling into the sea/lake (Drowning). Strategy: - Only walk on designated paths. - Wear suitable footwear. - Use areas with safety equipment (lifebuoys).

Identify another risk and reduction strategy used in your Cardiff Bay fieldwork.

Risk: Crossing Roads (Accident/Injury). Strategy: - Use designated crossing points (Zebra crossings). - Look both ways, obey traffic signals. - Do not use headphones or phones while crossing.

Identify a third risk and reduction strategy used in your Cardiff Bay fieldwork.

Risk: Getting Lost (Missing Bus Home). Strategy: - Always remain in groups of 4 minimum. - Ensure phones are fully charged and switched on. - Save contact numbers of responsible adults.

Distinguish between primary and secondary data in geographical fieldwork.

• Primary Data: Data collected first-hand by the researcher themselves (e.g., surveys, direct measurements). - Secondary Data: Data collected by someone else, available from existing sources (e.g., Census data, published maps).

Describe the Land Use Mapping method used in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Method: - Systematic sampling: Area divided into ~6 sub-areas for groups. - Observation & recording land use on OS map/tally. - Colour-coding each land use type.

Justify the Land Use Mapping method used in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Justification: - Allowed comprehensive sampling of the entire area. - Reduced bias through collective group decisions. - Directly addressed aim of identifying range of land uses.

Identify a limitation of the Land Use Mapping method used in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Limitations: - Subjective judgments for land use classification. - Limited number of categories (8) led to unclear classifications in some areas.

Describe the Environmental Quality Assessment (EQA) method used in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Method: - Systematic sampling every 100m along a transect (Tacoma Square to Butetown). - Using Survey123 for geolocated scores. - Collective group decision based on 10 variables (1-5 scale).

Justify the Environmental Quality Assessment (EQA) method used in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Justification: - Enabled comparison between regenerated & non-regenerated areas. - Revealed clear spatial trends in data. - Supported assessment of environmental quality (part of aim).

Identify a limitation of the Environmental Quality Assessment (EQA) method.

Limitation: - Sampling only every 100m meant some changes in environmental quality were missed between sample sites.

Describe the Questionnaire method used in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Method: - Stratified sampling by gender and age across Cardiff Bay. - Asking about regeneration success, origin, reason for visit, age, gender. - Questions refined as a group beforehand.

Justify the Questionnaire method used in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Justification: - Aimed to ensure data was representative of the wider population. - Sought to gauge public perceptions of regeneration success (part of aim).

Identify a limitation of the Questionnaire method used in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Limitations: - Limited sampling time (Wednesday afternoon) led to opportunistic sampling. - Higher % of elderly respondents made the sample less representative of the actual population.

Describe the use of Photographs as a data collection method in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Method: - Taken at each transect sample site. - Group decisions on direction and multiple shots.

Justify the use of Photographs in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Justification: - Useful for showing changes over time. - Supported quantitative EQA data. - Provided visual context and explanation for findings.

Explain how and why secondary data was used in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Used secondary data (e.g., Census, OS Maps): - Allowed for comparisons with primary data. - Provided data from a much larger sample.

Identify a limitation of using secondary data in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Limitation: - Secondary data could be out of date (e.g., Census every 10 years).

Justify the systematic sampling strategy used in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Systematic sampling (e.g., EQA transect, Land Use sub-areas): - Ensured sampling across the entire study area. - Allowed for measuring changes along a defined path or area. - Reduced the chance of consciously introducing bias by selecting convenient sites.

Justify the stratified sampling strategy used in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Stratified sampling (e.g., Questionnaire by age/gender): - Aimed to ensure the sample was representative of the key subgroups within the population. - Allowed for analysis of how views/perceptions varied by demographic factors.

Assess the effectiveness of the data collection methods used in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Effectiveness: - Blend of primary & secondary data, plus sampling methods, increased ability to answer hypotheses. - Enabled sufficient data collection despite constraints. - Techniques were effective enough to prove/disprove hypotheses. Limitations (impact on accuracy/reliability): - Subjective elements in some methods (EQA). - Inconsistencies with technology (Survey123). - Limited sampling time/sample size (Questionnaire).

Describe the use of ArcGIS to present EQA data in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

How/Why: - Exported geolocated Survey123 data. - Averaged EQA scores per site. - Imported into ArcGIS. - Displayed as proportional symbols on a map. - Combined with photos for context. Justification: Quick & easy to see spatial trends and link variables (e.g., EQA vs distance).

Assess the effectiveness of using ArcGIS to present EQA data.

Effectiveness: - Highly effective for showing overall spatial trends. - Good for making inferences and starting explanations. - Combining with photos added valuable context. Limitations: - Based on subjective underlying data, not suitable for definitive claims about specific sites.

Describe the use of Bar Charts to present questionnaire data in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

How/Why: - Questionnaire data (age, success score) entered into Excel. - Constructed bar charts to show the relationship between age and perceived success score. Justification: Clearly showed the relationship between age and perceived success, assessing 'mixed-use' development success across age groups.

Assess the effectiveness of using Bar Charts for questionnaire data.

Effectiveness: - Clearly highlighted variations in perceived success by age. Limitations: - Unrepresentative demographics due to sampling limitations could skew conclusions.

Describe the use of a Choropleth Map to present land use data in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

How/Why: - Created by colour-coding sampled areas based on observed land use. Justification: - Highly visually effective for displaying locational and land use data. - Enabled quick visual identification of patterns and relative sizes of land uses.

Assess the effectiveness of using a Choropleth Map for land use data.

Effectiveness: - Best for making broader conclusions about the area as a whole. - Better than a table for showing spatial distribution and relative size. Limitations: - Issues like unclear land use categories limited small-scale analysis.

Describe one form of data analysis used in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Used measures of central tendency (e.g., average/mean) for EQA scores: - Calculated the average EQA score for each sample site across all groups. - Increased accuracy by reducing bias from one group. - Allowed for comparison of average environmental quality between sites.

Justify the use of statistical techniques (e.g., mean) in your data analysis.

Justification: - Provided a single, summary figure for complex data (e.g., average EQA). - Allowed for direct comparison between different sample sites or groups. - Supported quantitative conclusions by highlighting central values.

Identify a limitation of the data analysis undertaken in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Limitations: - Did not fully link quantitative & qualitative responses due to time/manpower. - Only identified general sweeping patterns rather than specificities. - Decided not to use certain visual presentations (e.g., box-and-whisker graphs) which could have enhanced analysis/visualisation.

How did you establish links between different data sets when analysing your results?

Established links by: - Overlaying ArcGIS map of EQA scores with photos taken at sample sites for context. - Comparing EQA spatial trends with the land use map to infer reasons for variations. - Linking questionnaire responses about perceived success with the location of respondents or observed land uses.

Summarise the main findings of the Cardiff Bay fieldwork enquiry.

Main findings: - EQA: Clear drop in quality away from waterfront, especially sites 4/5 (Hypothesis 1 rejected). - Land Use: Wide range exists, but more visitor/tourism focused; jobs often lower paid/skilled (Hypothesis 2 rejected/partially accepted). - Questionnaire: Overall positive perceptions, but significant variation by age (older more positive) (Hypothesis 3 accepted, with nuance).

How far did your fieldwork conclusions match the geographical theory on urban regeneration?

Partially matched: - Confirmed regeneration can create a range of land uses and jobs. - Showed potential for environmental improvement in regenerated areas. - Highlighted challenges of achieving truly 'mixed-use' development and benefiting all demographics/local residents.

Assess the reliability of the conclusions drawn from the Cardiff Bay fieldwork.

Overall results (quantitative EQA/questionnaire scores, qualitative land use/photos) supported a conclusion of partial success. Reliability was reasonably good for showing general trends, but limited by: - Subjectivity in some data collection. - Small sample size/unrepresentative demographic for questionnaires. - Limited sampling time/spatial coverage.

Identify problems with data collection methods in the Cardiff Bay enquiry.

Problems: - Subjectivity in methods (e.g., EQA scoring). - Potential inconsistencies with technology (e.g., Survey123 inaccuracy). - Limited sampling time (1 hour per method). - Small, unrepresentative sample size for questionnaires (e.g., 30 people, mostly elderly).

Suggest improvements for data collection methods to improve accuracy/reliability.

Improvements: - Larger survey population or multiple EQA transects. - Sampling at different times (day, week, year) for representative data. - Collect more detailed qualitative data (e.g., explain reasons for perceptions). - Refine subjective systems (e.g., Land Use Index of Decay).

Assess the extent to which the data collected met the original aim of the enquiry.

Data collection generally increased ability to answer hypotheses. Blend of primary/secondary data & sampling provided sufficient data to prove/disprove hypotheses. Results supported conclusions about partial success & unmet aims. Improvements needed for greater validity/reliability (larger samples, different times, less subjectivity)