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W H Y W O U L D YO U C O N D U C T W I N D S H I E L D A N D
WA L K I N G S U RV E Y S ?
W H E N S H O U L D YO U C O N D U C T W I N D S H I E L D A N D
WA L K I N G S U RV E Y S ?
W H O S H O U L D C O N D U C T W I N D S H I E L D A N D WA L K I N G
S U RV E Y S ?
H O W D O YO U C O N D U C T W I N D S H I E L D A N D WA L K I N G
S U RV E Y S ?
Windshield surveys are particularly useful when the area you want to
observe is large, and the aspects youre interested in can be seen from the
road. A walking survey might be a better choice when youre seeking to
understand things that are harder to see from a moving vehicle.
Windshield and walking surveys can be used to assess general community
needs to estimate the poverty level, for example or to examine more
specific facets of the communitys physical, social, or economic character.
Some possibilities:
The location and condition of public buildings the city or town hall,
courthouse, etc.
They can be the easiest and quickest way to get an overview of the
entire community.
G E N E RA L G U I D E L I N E S F O R BO T H W I N D S H I E L D A N D
WA L K I N G S U RV E Y S
Determine who will conduct the survey
The reason this guideline is first is that youre likely to get the best results if
those who will be conducting the survey are involved in its planning. Their
observations will be sharper if they understand what theyre looking for,
which is most likely if they help to develop the survey.
The ideal, whether youre driving or walking, is to use a team or teams if you
have the resources to do so. The variety of perspectives will enrich the
survey, and each team member can focus on a particular task observation,
recording, etc. making for a more efficient survey.
Decide on the questions you want your survey to answer
The questions you choose will determine the scope and structure of your
survey. If your basic survey question is something like What is the nature of
the community? then there will be a number of secondary questions to ask
that will help you answer that first one. If your focus is much narrower, you
may need only one question, such as, Do most streets in the community
have sidewalks? or perhaps one question with more than one part: How, by
whom, and how much are public playgrounds used?
Decide on the areas youll include in your survey
If your work is in a large city New York, Tokyo, Cairo, etc. youre probably
only concerned with a small section, or with a particular segment of the
population. But you might want to survey other parts of the city as well, to
get a sense of the city as a whole and fit that neighborhood or population in
its context.
Your choices will help shape your understanding of the community, so you
should make them thoughtfully.What areas will best reflect the aspects of the
community you want to know about? Which locations best relate to the work
you want to do?
Get well acquainted with your questions, the purpose of the survey,
and what youre looking for.
Make and use a checklist to ensure that you address all of your
questions, and observe all the areas you want to.
Carry identification.
Take notes as you go along. You may also want to shoot photos or
videos with a camera or cell phone, in order to both remember and
illustrate what youve seen. If you wait to take notes until after the
survey is done, you may not remember everything clearly, or you may
ignore important details.
Public spaces. Are there public spaces where people can gather? Are
they well kept up? Do they have seating areas, trees and plants,
attractive design, cafes or food vendors, or other features meant to
encourage people to use the space? Who uses these spaces? Is there
diversity?
Parks. Are parks used by a variety of people?? Are they well kept up?
Are there sports facilities basketball courts, soccer pitches, baseball
fields, cricket pitches, etc.? Are they used at night?
Street use. Are there people on the streets at most times of day? In the
evening? How late? Do they interact with one another? Are streets and
sidewalks well lit at night?
Signs. What languages are business signs in? Are traffic signs
informative? Are there signs directing people to various parts of the
community (downtown, museums, highways, etc.)?
Land use. How much open space is there? How are residential,
commercial, and industrial areas distributed? Do major roads or railroad
tracks divide neighborhoods, or are they on the edges of the community?
Health services. How many hospitals and clinics are there in the
community? Where are they located? How big are they? How easy are
they to get to?
Community safety. Where are police and fire stations located? Are they
in good repair? Is the community well-lit at night?
G U I D E L I N E S F O R A W I N D S H I E L D S U RV E Y
If you can, try to use a team of at least two. That way, one person can
concentrate on driving while the other navigates and records
observations. Its difficult to observe closely and drive safely at the same
time.
Try to be inconspicuous
G U I D E L I N E S F O R A WA L K I N G S U RV E Y
Try to work in teams. Teams should probably not be larger than two or
three, unless youre splitting up. Two or three people walking together is
a normal group, but five or six is a crowd, and stands out.
IN SUMMARY
Sometimes, the best survey can be a combination of walking and driving. You
might survey the whole city or area in a vehicle, then use a walking survey to
look closely at the area youre most interested in. Or you might send out
walking and driving teams to survey different aspects of a community or
neighborhood. Youll see different things and more detail on foot; youll cover
more ground and get a broader perspective from a vehicle.
But even once your survey is finished, your job isnt done yet. You have to
analyze what youve seen and decide how to use it.
Some general questions you might want to consider: