Environmental quality surveys

• Environmental quality surveys are used to measure the 'look or feel' of a location.
• Environmental quality surveys are subjective, as one person may think a location is nicer then others.
• Environmental quality surveys are based on using a set of broad criteria on which to make a judgement about location, such as the quality of buildings, amount of traffic, local shops, services available, and general quality of the area.
• Environmental quality surveys can be carried out in different locations to identify the areas which are the worst/ best which identifies areas that need more work.
• equipment needed for an Environmental quality survey:

  -       Prepared survey sheets, such as bipolar surveys

  -       Base maps of the area

  -       A digital camera

  -       Sketching materials

  -       Satellite images of the study area
• Methodology when carrying out Environmental quality survey:

  1.     Decide on the context.

  2.     Decide your sampling method. 

  3.     Decide on the criteria/measurements (e.g., building condition, noise level, litter, etc)

  4.     Trial run

  5.     Who is going to take out the data.
• Examples of context:

  -       Several separate locations within one area (e.g., CBD or residential area)

  -       Two or more areas (e.g., inner-city housing versus suburbs)

  -       Locations along a transect (s) (e.g., from the CBD to the urban fringe)

  -       Two shopping areas (e.g., two city-centre shopping streets or two shopping malls)

  -       A tourist area/resort (e.g., a seaside resort or between two country parks)
• considerations and limitations of Environmental quality serveys:

  -       This survey technique is based on making judgements, and very subjective.

  -       Most judgements are made based on stereotypes or misconceptions.

  -       Data can be compared to published data such as census or house prices.

  -       Time of day can be important for certain factors.
• How can environmental quality surveys be processed?

  
  

  - Isoline maps show places of the same environmental quality.

  - Bipolar graphs can be used to compare different areas.
• what do environmental quality surveys measure?

  the 'look' or 'feel' of a location
• what is the biggest limitation to environmental quality surveys?

  they are subjective, as one person may think a location is nicer than others
• how do environmental quality surveys work?

  they are based on using a set of broad criteria, to make judgements about a location
• examples of criteria which may be looked at:

  quality of buildings, amount of traffic, local shops, services, green space, damage