Applied

Fieldwork
Enquiry
Urban
Lesson Objective:
To understand how an urban
fieldwork is planned and analysed.
Table A: fieldwork
methodologies
Fieldwork locality Use of transects (across a Change over time (comparing Qualitative surveys (analysing Geographical flows (analysing
feature) primary data with secondary perception) flows and patterns of
sources) movement)
Urban Assess quality of life or Changing land use over time in an Investigate environmental quality Investigate commuter
environmental quality across an urban environment (for example of urban environments movements in a town
urban area brownfield site), using maps and
other data for historic comparisons Investigate the impacts of an Investigate traffic or pedestrian
Study land use changes across a urban green space (or urban flows, for example relating
city Changing patterns of retailing – wasteland ecosystem) on the local pedestrian flows in a
compare current retail patterns to community retail environment to parking
Investigate the edge of the historic data from a previous year provision in an urban area or
CBD/central area Investigate the sense of place of an identifying the best route for a
Investigate the impacts of urban area cycle path
Investigate pollution away from a pedestrianisation or redevelopment
motorway (or similar) using in a town using historic maps/data Investigate the effects of a football Investigate the impacts of
indicators such as noise, air ground (or similar) on the local international migration
quality and lichens Investigate the impacts of environment
international migration, comparing
Investigate the vegetation present day with historic data Investigate the impacts of
succession in an urban wasteland pedestrianisation or
ecosystem redevelopment in a town

Investigate the impacts of Investigate crime and vandalism in

international migration a town or city

Investigate the impacts of

international migration
Table B: conceptual
frameworks
Geographical Place Sphere of influence Cycles and flows Mitigating risk Sustainability Inequality
theme
Applying Applying understanding Applying understanding of Applying understanding of Applying understanding Applying understanding
understanding of of sphere of change and movement in hazard perception / risk and of sustainable of inequality and
uniqueness / identity influence /catchment relation to place analysing management communities associated concepts such as
and how it impacts on strategies / future actions deprivation or equality of access
places to services

Urban Comparing two urban Identifying the sphere Migration survey which Study urban land use and its Investigating the impacts Investigating how positive and
environments of influence of an urban focuses on push-pull factors impact on infiltration / of a pedestrianisation negative externalities impact on
(environmental area (retailing, and their impacts in urban interception/flood risk scheme or park and ride standard of living in urban or
quality, sense of employment, locations scheme rural environments
place, impacts of entertainment, green Investigating air quality in an
international space, etc) and Investigating diurnal flows urban area, its impact and Investigating the Comparing access to services in
migration, etc) assessing its impacts on within urban environments management options effectiveness of an rural and urban communities
the hinterland and the effects for existing or planned within the hinterland of one
Comparing the quality example, on transport Investigating people’s community large urban area
of life in two systems, the environment, etc perceptions of crime and risk to meet requirements of
neighbourhoods in a town Egan’s wheel Evaluating quality of life for a
Study of commuter flows named socio-economic group
between an urban and Investigating sustainable (for example, young families) in
neighbouring ways to manage the one community
rural location journey to school for
example, the best route Assessing quality of the urban
for a new cycle route to environment and its impact on
school house prices across an urban
transect
Investigating possible
sustainable uses of a Evaluating the success of an
brownfield site (link with urban regeneration scheme in
urban wasteland reducing deprivation
ecosystem)
 The six stages of the enquiry process

Ask
questions

Evaluate the Collect

process data

Draw Process &

conclusions present data

Analysis and
application of
wider
understanding
Enquiry 1: Ask
questions
What effect has the new shopping
development had on the town?
 Does environmental quality vary
in the town?
 Is there a change in land use with
distance from the town centre?
IMG 8530
 How is traffic managed in the
town?
 How has pedestrianisation
affected the development of the
town?

IMG 8502
Enquiry 2: Collecting data

 Revise the ways of collecting Data.

 You can use additional methods of data collection
as you wish.
 Remember that fieldwork is an excellent way to
practice geographical skills.
Enquiry 2: Urban methodologies
Fieldwork Use of transects (across a Change over time (comparing Qualitative surveys Geographical flows
locality feature) primary data with secondary (analysing perception) (analysing flows and
sources) patterns of movement

Urban Assess quality of life or environmental Changing land use over time in an urban Investigate environmental quality Investigate commuter movements
quality across an urban area environment (for example brownfield site), of urban environments in a town
(complete an EIA and use annotated using maps and other data for historic (record traffic flows)
photos or field sketches) comparisons Investigate the impacts of an urban
(plot land use and compare with historic green space (or urban wasteland Investigate traffic or pedestrian
Study land use changes across a city maps/photos) ecosystem) on the local community flows, for example relating
(plot land uses on a base map) pedestrian flows in a
Changing patterns of retailing – comparing Investigate the sense of place of an retail environment to parking
Investigate the edge of the CBD/central current retail patterns to historic data from a urban area provision in an urban area or
area previous year identifying best route for a cycle
(consider changes in land use, building (record current shopping patterns and Investigate the effects of a football path
height, pedestrians) compare with secondary data) ground (or similar) on the local (record traffic flows, conduct
environment questionnaires)
Investigate pollution away from a Investigate the impacts of pedestrianisation or
motorway (or similar) using indicators redevelopment in a town using historic Investigate the impacts of Investigate the impacts of
such as noise, air quality and lichens maps/data pedestrianisation or redevelopment international migration
(use instruments or lichen indicator (conduct questionnaires, use photos to in a town (use questionnaires and
chart) compare with historic) observe land uses)
Investigate crime and vandalism in
Investigate the vegetation succession in Investigate the impacts of international a town or city
an urban wasteland ecosystem migration, comparing present day with historic
(use quadrats and observation chart) data Investigate the impacts of
(use of old maps, census data, photos and international migration
Investigate the impacts of international questionnaires) (use of qualitative measures such
migration as EIAs, questionnaires, bi-polar
(use questionnaires and observe land charts and photos together with
uses) GIS data)
Enquiry 2: Carmarthen

Consider what methodologies could be used here to

Enquiry 2: Carmarthen

Consider what methodologies could be used here to

Enquiry 2: Collecting
data
 Design appropriate fieldwork data collecting
sheets
 Select appropriate locations (safety – risk
assessment - ease of access, geographically
sound)
 Select appropriate sampling techniques (random,
systematic, stratified)
 Ensure accuracy and reliability

Remember that students will need to justify methodologies

Enquiry 3: Processing and
presenting
Processing data
This involves making calculations from the
data sheet and could involve:
 Calculating flow rates of traffic or pedestrians
 Calculating EIA scores
 Converting data into percentages (e.g. lichen
indicators, vegetation quadrats, questionnaires)
 Comparative statistical measures (e.g. percentage
change) for census or crime data
 Enquiry 3: Processing and
presenting
Presenting data
This involves selecting appropriate methods to present data and could include

Composite (divided) bar graphs, e.g. showing land use

change
 Enquiry 3: Processing and
presenting
Presenting data
This involves selecting appropriate methods to present data and could include

Use GIS to plot land uses onto a base map

 Enquiry 3: Processing and
presenting
Presenting data
This involves selecting appropriate methods to present data and could include

Use GIS to plot cycle management onto a base

map
 Enquiry 3: Processing and
presenting
Presenting data
This involves selecting appropriate methods to present data and could include

Radar graph, pie chart and flow map

 Enquiry 3: Processing and
presenting
Presenting data
This involves selecting appropriate methods to present data and could include
Use a program such as Wordle to present qualitative data

https://www.geography-fieldwork.org/gcse/urban/cbd/data-presentation/
Annotated photo showing
a traditional shopping
street in Carmarthen
Hanging baskets to Double yellow
Older traditional improve lines indicate
shopping street, environmental traffic
with relatively quality management
small independent
shops

One-way
street

Shopping street
popular with a
range of ages
Enquiry 4: Analysing and
wider understanding
 Identify, analyse and interpret trends and patterns
 Apply knowledge and understanding of
geographical concepts and processes to specific
evidence collected

Trends – changes over time, distance, etc.

Patterns – regular repeating distributions, e.g.
linear, radial, circular
Enquiry 4: Describing
data
When describing trends and patterns consider using
the acronym ‘GCSE’:

GC – general comment, describing the ‘big picture’,

the overall trends and patterns
S – refer to specific information/data on the graphs,
maps and diagrams to support your comments
E – identify and comment on any exceptions
(anomalies) to the overall trend/pattern
Enquiry 4: Analysing
data
 The divided bar graph shows that there is a significant change in land use with
distance from the town centre.
 Close to the town centre there is a dominance of retailing (58%) and consumer
services (35%). The percentage of these two land uses decreases significantly to
about 14% at 8001-1000 metres from the town centre.
 The dominance of retailing and consumer services close to the town centre reflects
the historic development of the town around its central most accessible point.
 Residential land use
increases towards the
edge of the town to
reach a maximum of
about 80% at 1001-
1200 metres from the
town centre. Here
land was available for
building and was not
too expensive.
Enquiry 5: Drawing
conclusions
This involves synthesising (pulling together) findings to
reach evidenced conclusions that relate to the initial aim
of the enquiry. Here’s an example:
‘In conclusion, my results clearly show that land use changes with distance from the town
centre. The town centre is dominated by retailing and consumer services, which accounts
for over 90% of the land use.
Both land uses decrease with
distance from the town centre to be
replaced by a dominance of
residential, which increases
significantly from 1000 metres. These
changes reflect a number of factors
such as accessibility, economic
activity, historical development and
political management decisions. It is
not possible to directly relate the
pattern of land use to the urban
models, which tend to be over-
simplified.’
Enquiry 5: Drawing
conclusions
Expected trends are not always reflected
in the real world, for example:
 Urban management has greatly altered the land
use in towns, particularly the regeneration of
town centres
 Having developed largely unplanned for
hundreds of years, towns in the UK often have
mixed land uses with no obvious patterns
 Multi-storey buildings often have several land
uses (retail, office and residential) – land use
maps tend to focus on ground floor only, giving a
rather inaccurate impression
Enquiry 5: Drawing
conclusions
Access may be limited to Weather conditions, time of day
parts of the town due to and time of year will affect
road works or urban people’s behaviour and may give
regeneration unexpected results

Infrequent events, such

as festivals may give
unexpected and
unrepresentative results

Some towns were

severely damaged in
WW2, wiping out
historical patterns
Enquiry 6: Evaluating
the process
 Identify the limitations of geographical evidence -
accuracy, reliability and bias
 Reflect critically on the strengths and limitations
of both primary and secondary data, methods
used, conclusions drawn and knowledge gained
 Appreciate that stakeholders may have vested
interests, introducing bias.
Enquiry 6: Evaluating
the process
 How might your results be different on another
day or at a different time of year (local people or
tourists)?
 How might an increase in the sample size or the
number of sites have improved reliability?
 With practice, might data collection techniques
have been more accurate?
 Was the sampling strategy appropriate?
 Could inaccurate diagram construction have
affected your conclusions?