Investigating variations in urban quality of life Flashcards
Where did we conduct our fieldwork?
Greenwich
What methods of data collection did we use?
- Questionnares
- Environmental quality survey
- Shopping quality survey
- Interviews
- Bi-polar surveys
- Service tally
What are the pros of questionnaires?
- No equipment required
- Range of opinions
- Quick and easy to collect
What are the cons of questionnaires?
- Some people might not be willing to participate
- Takes a long time if you need a large sample
- Didn’t question younger people because they were at school, and a lot of working age people didn’t have the time to talk
- Many people not actually local to the area
- Small sample size of 3
What are the pros and cons of a choropleth map?
PROS
- Shows spatial distribution
- Clear and visual, so it’s easy to make comparisons and analyse data
CONS
- Doesn’t show disparity
- Shows a sudden change when its actually gradual
- May not give exact data
What are the pros of quantitative data?
- Possible to have a larger sample size
- Information can often be collected quickly
- Data collection can be duplicated
- More objective and reliable than qualitative data
What are the cons of qualitative data?
- The meaning behind the results isnt that clear
- Human error can lead to mistakes
What are the pros and cons of qualitative data?
- More in-depth than qualitative
CONS
- Often a small sample size
- Enquiries are not easy to duplicate
- Difficult to make comparisons
- Low reliability and time consuming
Why was the fieldwork carried out in Greenwich?
- It’s an area that has experienced regeneration over the last 30 years since the Millenium Village and Peninsula were built
What was focused on in the Bi-polar scale surveys?
- Environment and services
- Buildings, traffic, open space, general quality
What are the pros of bi-polar scales?
- Easy to understand and provides clear choices
- Allows respondents to express strong opinions at both ends of the scale, or give a neutral response
- Suitable for a variety of topics
What are the cons of bi-polar scales?
- Labels can be slightly ambiguous- respondents might interpret scale differently leading to inconsistent responses
- Limited depth, doesn’t gather context about why respondents might feel a certain way
- Midpoint misuse
What secondary data is useful for this fieldwork?
- Census Data
- GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
- Consumer Data Research Centre (CDRC)
What can census data show us?
Population density
- High population density can impact quality of life by affecting access to services
Age distribution
- Can indicate if an area will have high areas of employment (i.e large amount of pop. are economically active) and show potential pressures on services such as schools and healthcare
Income levels
Poverty rates
Data on homeownership vs. rental properties
- Can indicate economic stability
Access to green spaces
What can GIS show us?
- Can analyse access to parks, schools, healthcare and transport
