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Qualitative methods - FSC Geography Fieldwork

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Closed questions. Answers are limited to single words, numbers or listed options. The collated data is quantitative. 'Do you feel safe in High Street at 11pm?' Yes / No / Don't know

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2015 English Indices of Deprivation: map explorer

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Explore the 2015 Indices of Deprivation in an interactive map. You can choose the overall Index of Multiple Deprivation, or one of the individual domains. You can search the map by place name or postcode.

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An Investigation into Ethnic Segregation in Chatham_Redacted.pdf

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An Investigation Into Actual and Perceived Crime in Guildford_Redacted.pdf

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An Investigation into the Process of Primary Vegetation Succession_Redacted.pdf

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An Investigation into the use of Lichenometry_Redacted.pdf

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An Investigation into the Factors Influencing Corrie Development_Redacted.pdf

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Ethnic segregation in Chatham commentary.pdf

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Placecheck is the simplest way of finding out what a place and its people can tell us, and starting the process of making change happen. A Placecheck can be carried out for a street, a park, a neighbourhood, a town centre or any other place. Placechecks have been carried out in the early stages of neighbourhood planning and a wide range of local initiatives. Wandsworth Council used a customized Placecheck to add to its local list of valued buildings and spaces. Gardencheck is a special type of Placecheck for assessing the impact of a street's front gardens.
The Placecheck web app
You can use the Placecheck web on your a smart phone, tablet or computer, walking about the area or at home. This builds up a set of markers on an online map, and a downloadable online resource of information and opinion on the place, its strengths and weakness, and what needs to be done.

The app is easy to use: there is nothing to download, you just click on the link that we give you when we set up your map.
Go walkabout
A Placecheck consists of one or more walkabouts, followed by discussion of the information and opinions they turn up, and some serious thinking about the next steps and who needs to be involved. Using the Placecheck app enables you to extend the Placecheck over several weeks, if that is appropriate, with the results being available permanently online.

Placecheck's simple idea is that much of what needs to be known about a place can be seen and understood by looking at it, or is in the heads of the people who live, work or play there. Placecheck is the simplest, quickest way of finding out what the place and its people can tell us, and starting the process of making change happen.

Placecheck gets us asking three questions:

What do we like about this place?

What do we dislike about this place?

What do we need to work on?

Organising a Placecheck
Anyone can organise a Placecheck. People who run Placechecks learn how to use the method by hearing a presentation, taking part in a Placecheck, or reading the information on this website.

If you do have a facilitator (a person who is experienced in planning and running events so they run smoothly and achieve their aims) to lead the Placecheck, you might get even more out of the event. But the point of Placecheck is that it is so simple that this is not necessary. Placechecks have been organised successfully by - among others - local residents, shopkeepers, teachers, schoolchildren, leaders of neighbourhood forums and their advisers, local authority officers and staff of regeneration agencies.

Whether you have a facilitator or not, make sure that you have a clear plan of how you are going to organise the Placecheck. Make efforts to involve everyone in the discussions as you walk about, and be sure to note everyone's views and insights.

You do not need other experts - such planners, architects, engineers or urban designers - either. But having them on the Placecheck may help you in thinking about the potential of the place, and help you get things done. Placechecks often involve a wide range of people whose expert subject is the place itself: people such as residents, traders, the police and members of local organisations.

What (and whether) expert advice is needed, and at what stage, will depend on the aim of the Placecheck. Don't let professionals take over: the point of the Placecheck is to enable a wide range of people (non-professionals and professionals) to decide for themselves what needs to be done.
Choose the area
Choose an area that seems to have either a common identity, opportunities or problems, or obvious boundaries. It might be an area that has already been identified as a neighbourhood. Choose one that you will be able to take a good look at in around an hour. In the case of a large area, decide if you want to look at it in one or more Placechecks, perhaps with different groups of people or on different days. You might do this if different parts of the area have different characters or needs, for example.
Who should be involved in the Placecheck?
It is up to you to decide who should be invited to take part in the Placecheck. Sometimes just a handful of people will take part in the first one, and more people will take part in later Placechecks of the same area. A Placecheck is not a means of making a democratically representative assessment of an area. It is a way of getting the ball rolling, and of getting people talking and thinking. It can feed into democratic and representative structures later.

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Placecheck - The first step in improving an area

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Placecheck is the simplest way of finding out what a place and its people can tell us, and starting the process of making change happen. A Placecheck can be carried out for a street, a park, a neighbourhood, a town centre or any other place.

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Dramatic and eye-catching sports stadiums like London's Olympic arena can drive up local property prices by as much as 15 per cent through the sheer quality of their architecture alone concludes a new study by urban economists.

It finds that unconventional and iconic stadium architecture can create new landmarks and a sense of local identity which deliver economic benefits beyond those generated simply by increased tourism or commerce.

South Africa's King's Park stadium in Durban, which has been built for the World Cup in a shape that suggests the national flag - is another example of the trend which is seeing iconic design being used as a 'calling card' for the home city.

The study by Gabriel Ahlfeldt from the London School of Economics and Political Science and Wolfgang Maennig, from the University of Hamburg, is published in the International Journal of Urban and Regional Research today (Wednesday 9 June)

The authors examined several existing sets of data measuring land prices or rents in city neighbourhoods both before and after stadiums were constructed in their midst. Using the stadium's completion date enabled them to see precisely how prices rose (or fell) after work was finished. They then applied economic models to account for differences which were attributable to other environmental factors - such as new roads or other infrastructure improvements. With these variables accounted for, say the authors, it is reasonable to attribute the remaining rises or falls in property value to the 'aura' of the stadium - its impact on the built environment.

The evidence showed that, internationally, stadiums are responsible for a significant increase in values of between eight and 15 per cent. However, this effect drops as you move away from the stadium, disappearing altogether at a distance of three miles. The stadiums studied ranged from the Velodrom cycling and swimming complex in Berlin to the FedEx field in Maryland, home of the Washington Redskins American football team.

Dr Ahlfeldt said: 'Striking architecture does, in itself, seem to have an economic effect on the surrounding area. Of course rising land values or property prices may or may not be seen as a good thing by those who live there, but our research shows that unusual, sometimes iconic, buildings can have a powerful spillover effect for their surrounding communities.

'We can expect to see this effect powerfully in London over the next two years with the development of sports sites for the Olympic games in East London. '

The study points out that not all stadiums achieve the 'iconic' effect. For example, the stadiums built or refurbished in Germany for the 2006 World Cup tended to be functional rather than innovative. On the other hand, stadiums do not have to dominate or overwhelm their surroundings in order to generate an aura - some modern designs can be more self-effacing, enhancing their city surroundings while blending in with them.

An example is the St Jakob Park in Basel, Switzerland which hides behind a plain façade during daylight and is barely noticeable, but which emerges dramatically at night when it is lit either with the colours of the city's football team or with the white cross on red of the Swiss flag.

However the study concludes by arguing that it is still not clear which combination of ambitious design and integrated city enrichment can maximize the public benefits of sports stadiums. Further study of new construction projects will be needed to provide empirical evidence.

Stadium architecture and urban development from the perspective of urban economics

Gabriel Ahlfeldt's research profile

Ends

For more information contact:

Dr Gabriel Ahlfeldt 020 7852 3785 g.ahlfeldt@lse.ac.uk

LSE press office 020 7955 7440 pressoffice@lse.ac.uk

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Sports stadiums with the 'Wow!' factor deliver extra economic impact finds study

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Dramatic and eye-catching sports stadiums like London's Olympic arena can drive up local property prices by as much as 15 per cent through the sheer quality of their architecture alone concludes a new study by urban economists.

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House prices rocket around football stadiums

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Homes near to top league football stadiums have doubled in value over the past decade, says research from Halifax.

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The construction of a new football stadium is rarely a source of joy for those living nearby - but it appears they are wrong to think it will cut the value of their homes.

In a ground-breaking piece of research, two economists found the construction of a new stadium actually raises local property prices by as much as 15%.

Gabriel Ahlfeldt, of the LSE, and Georgios Kavetsos, of the Cass Business School, looked at house prices around two new football stadiums: Arsenal's Emirates stadium and Wembley.

Their research, presented at this year's Royal Economic Society conference, found property prices within 5km of the stadiums rose significantly from the time plans to build were announced. Their analysis shows prices started to rise as early as 2002 in the case of the new Wembley and 1999 in the case of the Emirates stadium, corresponding to the years when construction of the former started and the final decision on the site of the latter were made.

General house price inflation could not explain the rises, the economists found, and nor could the transport improvements. The two write: "The effect was highest very close to the stadium and diminished gradually with distance until disappearing at a distance of about 5km."

In the case of the Emirates stadium, built 500m from the old Arsenal stadium, appreciation in property prices was accompanied by a relative decline in prices around the old Highbury location, indicating a shift in demand.

The pair note: "The recent decision to turn London's Olympic stadium into a football stadium may turn out to be a wise one."
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New football stadiums good for house prices, economists find

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The construction of a new football stadium is rarely a source of joy for those living nearby - but it appears they are wrong to think it will cut the value of their homes. In a ground-breaking piece of research, two economists found the construction of a new stadium actually raises local property prices by as much as 15%.

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Modelling Environmental Influences on Property Prices in an Urban Environment

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Iain R. Lake, Andrew A. Lovett, Ian J. Bateman and Ian H. Langford Centre for Social and Economic Research on the Global Environment (CSERGE; University of East Anglia & University College London) and Centre for Environmental Risk (CER) School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich NR4 7TJ.

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The new Police.uk website, where users can view the number of crimes, including robberies, burglaries and violent crime at street level, could have a "dangerous" effect on house prices, according to one property specialist.

Nigel Lewis, property analyst at Findaproperty.com, said: "On the face of it, online crime maps are a brilliant idea akin to the neighbourhood watch schemes launched during the 1980s, but they are also dangerous for the housing market.

"In the same way school catchment areas have skewed property markets around the UK and created 20% uplifts around good schools, so these maps could drive down prices in crime-stricken streets and postcodes."

A 2004 study by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) found that more crime in a London neighbourhood means lower house prices. But according to the research, it is relatively minor anti-social but highly visible crimes like graffiti and vandalism that have the largest negative effects on house prices, because they are seen as signs of deeper problems of neighbourhood social disorder. They also induce people to leave and discourage potential homebuyers.

In contrast, a higher incidence of burglary has in the past done nothing to depress prices, although publication of local burglary statistics on the new website could change this.

Dr Steve Gibbons of the LSE found that a reduction in recorded crime of 10% adds around 1.7% to the selling price when compared with the average home in the average neighbourhood.

However Nick Leeming, commercial director at property website Zoopla.co.uk, said the new service will "surprise the few who have not fully done their homework", but would not have a huge impact on house prices because "most people who are looking to buy are more than likely to have researched the area that they want to move to and have a good idea about the level of crime there". He added that "any information that helps the buyer, seller, renter or property professional make good property-related decisions is helpful".

David Dalby, a director at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, said: "RICS welcomes any improved consumer information which allows homebuyers to make more informed decisions. However, taken out of context these crime statistics could have an effect on house prices.

"It's also worth remembering that information about local levels of crime is already available through environmental searches commissioned by conveyancers as part of the buying process, but only forms one of a huge number of factors taken into account by consumers when deciding where to live."

Lindsay Cuthill from estate agency group Savills said he expects most buyers will now look at the website because it is so new and exciting. "But I hope as a housing agent that people will apply some measure of common sense to their buying decision. Crime is very low down the list of priorities - I've never had a client ask about crime and security ahead of how many bedrooms a property has," he said.

Cuthill added that people buying in urban areas should not expect to find many places that are crime free. "Different thieves tackle different areas, so more professional thieves will target affluent homes just as there is plenty of low-level crime in less privileged areas."

Philip Jackson, director at Birmingham-based estate agent Maguire Jackson, said he was pleased about the crime statistics being online, but added: "Our inability to get their site working today hasn't allowed us to double-check on those fast-changing inner city areas where often downtown Beirut & upmarket Solihull type areas sit remarkably close."
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Online crime maps could drive down house prices, warn property analysts

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The new Police.uk website, where users can view the number of crimes, including robberies, burglaries and violent crime at street level, could have a "dangerous" effect on house prices, according to one property specialist.

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UKCrimeStats.com - The Leading Independent Crime Data Platform

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Welcome to UK Crime Stats, the leading public resource for maps, analysis and reporting of monthly crime data in England and Wales, growing by 500,000 crimes a month

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Postcode Check for SY5 9PR - SY5 9PR, United Kingdom

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The average Credit Score in SY5 9PR is 336, making it lower than average compared to the rest of the UK. See for free how you compare, plus lots more.

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London house prices leapt by 11.2% during 2013, an increase which is more than double the national average.

Figures from the Land Registry show across England and Wales, property prices grew by 4.4% in the 12 months to December to reach £167,353 on average. But in London, the price of a property now stands at around £403,792.

Values in Hackney, which helped to host the London 2012 Olympics, are almost one fifth higher than they were a year ago, now standing at £502,129 on average.

Here's a full borough-by-borough breakdown of the figures:

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sharp rise in house prices: borough-by-borough breakdown

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Sharp rise in house prices: Borough-by-borough breakdown

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London house prices leapt by 11.2% during 2013, an increase which is more than double the national average. Figures from the Land Registry show across England and Wales, property prices grew by 4.4% in the 12 months to December to reach £167,353 on average.

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How do store planners use distance decay?

Distance decay is the idea that the farther away you are from goods or services, the less likely you are to make use of it. For example, if you live in a rural area, it's likely that you travel to a bigger city 100 miles even if it offers bigger and better goods and services.

So a store's distance has an impact on how many customers it can attract from nearby towns. This varies from place to place with less connections or transportation hindering impact of distance.

Geographers think that you can apply the idea of distance decay all over the world.

And it doesn't only apply to city planners. For example, industries like agriculture use distance decay to shorten travel time to nearby supplies like water and fertilizer for fields.

Friction of distance vs time-space compression

If you want to build a store, planners should always consider distance decay as the main driver for customers. Because they know customers are only willing to travel a certain distance to shop there, they can select their store site based on the population nearby. This concept is friction of distance and is the cause or barriers that hinder interactions.

Because they know that potential customers are only willing to travel a certain amount of distance, major corporations have teams of planners use distance decay before they establish a store location. They think of friction of distance questions like:

Are customers willing to travel one hour to the nearest shop, if it's a bit bigger?

Or are customers more likely to travel 15 minutes to a smaller shop?

For example, they use tools like Huff's Gravity Model for planning scenarios to ultimately pick the best building site.

We can think of time-space compression as factors which reduce the impact of distance decay. For example, wealth, technology and transportation system can reduce the impact of distance-decay.

Are there any subway systems or bus routes that make it easier for people to access this site?

Can people afford to own a car and travel this amount of distance to patron the store?

For example, subways, trains and faster cars all lessen the impact of distance decay. But more than a century ago, when people's main transportation were horse and buggy, time-space compression wasn't as big of a factor as it is today.

Geographers build isochrone maps to find how far firefighters, ambulance or paramedics can service a city or town. In addition, they pick optimal business space with location-allocation to maximize coverage of their services.

What are distance decay examples?

As the distance between two locales increases, the amount of activity between them decreases. Likewise, if you build a store in the middle of nowhere unconnected to transportation, no one will visit your store.

The idea of distance decay has been applied since the beginning of human civilization. Farmers who water their field, they are going to keep their supply of water as the shortest route as possible. They don't want the distance to be very far.

Think of going to a park or shopping and your experience of distance decay? How does Waldo Tobler First Law of Geography describe relationships between close and far things?

Take the time to write down some of the stores you patron, and if you are applying distance decay in your everyday life. Find some new stores on the map, and picture how likely you are to travel to go there.

Add a comment below and let me know.

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Distance Decay: How Far Are You Willing to Travel? - GIS Geography

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Distance decay is the idea that the farther away you are from goods or services, the less likely you are to make use of it. For example, if you live in a rural area, it's likely that you travel to a bigger city 100 miles even if it offers bigger and better goods and services.