Aim?
I aim to find out the differences in characteristics between three areas of Glasgow. The CBD (Argyle Street), the inner city (the Gorbals), and the suburbs (Burnside). I am comparing these areas to see how they differ.
Research methods?
I carried out an environmental quality survey as my first research method. I looked around the area thoroughly, analysing different factors, for example, gardens and landscaping, average building height, levels of air pollution, and sound pollution. To make it more accurate and a fair comparison, I used the same criteria and scoring system at all locations, rating each factor from 1 to 5, with 1 being very poor and 5 being very good. To improve this, I could take my data with a pair to receive 2 different perspectives. The data was presented in a radar graph.
I carried out a traffic and pedestrian count survey as one of my research methods. I counted all cars and other vehicles that passed by a specific point within 10 minutes. I did the same at every location (CBD, Inner City, Suburbs), as well as a pedestrian count in which I counted how many people walked past a specific point within 10 minutes. You can make this more reliable by surveying at different times of the day, e.g. morning, night, and rush hour. This makes the data more reliable as it shows the average amount of traffic passing throughout the whole day. The data was presented in a bar graph.
Findings?
Using my findings from graph 2, I found that the highest number of cars were in the inner city, with just under 120 cars, the suburbs being the next closest with around 85 cars, and the CBD having the least with just over 20 cars. This is because there’s so much public transport to get around making it accessible in the CBD, such as buses and trains, that it’s unnecessary to bring your own car. Another reason for the CBD having the lowest number of cars is because it being more expensive for parking, whereas public transport is a lot cheaper.
Using my findings from graph 3, I found out that there were significantly less pedestrians further away from the CBD to the suburbs you went to. With there being around 275 in the CBD (Argyle Street), only around 20 in the Inner-city (the Gorbals) and around 60 in the Suburbs (Burnside). This is because the CBD is the main hub of shopping, dining, and workplaces attracting people into the area. The reason why there were significantly less pedestrians in the suburbs is because there are fewer shops, workplaces, and public transport options.
Using my findings from graph 1, I found out that the area with the lowest litter quantity was in the CBD, and the highest was in the suburbs at 3. This is because the CBD receives more dedicated and frequent cleaning services in order to make the area more attractive for businesses, shoppers, and tourists. The suburbs were the area with the highest litter levels because they receive less regular cleaning and rely more on residents to manage waste.
Conclusion?
In conclusion, I found that the characteristics of these areas do differ. The CBD had the highest number of pedestrians at around 275, showing it is the busiest area. The inner city had the highest number of vehicles at just under 120, showing higher traffic levels. The suburbs had the highest environmental quality score, showing better living conditions. This supports the Burgess concentric model, as characteristics change depending on distance from the CBD.
