Exploring the Role of 'Visual Catalysts' on Influencing People's Attraction and Use of Place

METHOD
PLACE CENTRED BEHAVIOUR MAPPING
Behaviour mapping is a form <strong>of</strong> systematic observation research that tracks behaviour over
time and space (Sommer & Sommer 2001). It involves <strong>the</strong> entry <strong>of</strong> data into ei<strong>the</strong>r a simple
table <strong>of</strong> significant tallied attributes (such as gender and people sitting down) or/as well
as <strong>the</strong> mapping <strong>of</strong> data drawn on a scaled site outline. This tool, predominantly used by
environmental psychologists, urban designers and landscape architects, developed in <strong>the</strong> late
1960s and early 1970s (Barker 1968; Ittelson et al. 1976). This method takes two main forms;
one being <strong>the</strong> focus on a place, and <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r being <strong>the</strong> focus on a person. These two forms
are known as place-centred and person or individual-centred mapping respectively (Manzo &
Devine-Wright 2016).
Behaviour mapping is generally understood as a quantitative approach to research, however it
is equally plausible to use it as a method <strong>of</strong> qualitative research (Cosco et al. 2010). A primarily
quantitative approach, such as for this <strong>the</strong>sis, aims to observe what happens in a place, and
provide hard data to record this to turn into substantial finding in relation to <strong>the</strong> prescribed
research focus (Ng 2016). In <strong>the</strong> case for this project, that would be exploring whe<strong>the</strong>r people’s
experience <strong>of</strong> place is influenced by ‘visual catalysts’. As such, this lends <strong>the</strong> study <strong>of</strong> this <strong>the</strong>sis
towards it being a place-centred paradigm, ra<strong>the</strong>r than individual centred.
Behaviour mapping is also one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> only methods able to measure detailed changes in
behaviour and space in parallel with time; a core feature <strong>of</strong> this study as it aims to determine
<strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> temporality in people’s experience <strong>of</strong> place (Hill 1984). Hence, through observing
<strong>the</strong> changes in behaviour during different time periods (such as before, during, and after <strong>the</strong>
intervention) a broad spectrum <strong>of</strong> findings can be collated and analysed comparatively.
METHOD CONSIDERATIONS
In terms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> limitations <strong>of</strong> behaviour mapping as a method <strong>of</strong> study, <strong>the</strong>re is a substantial
reliance on <strong>the</strong> interpretation <strong>of</strong> results from <strong>the</strong> researcher (Brown et al. 2015). By observing
what people do in space this can provide insight into whe<strong>the</strong>r people’s experience <strong>of</strong> place
is influenced by catalytic interventions, however <strong>the</strong>re is no significant comparative work to
compare <strong>the</strong>se observations against in terms <strong>of</strong> previous research or studies conducted. Yet,
as this <strong>the</strong>sis is solely focused on <strong>the</strong> notion <strong>of</strong> understanding if, and how long, <strong>the</strong> experience
<strong>of</strong> place is influenced, ra<strong>the</strong>r than <strong>the</strong> extent or reasoning, behaviouramapping provides <strong>the</strong>
fundamental source <strong>of</strong> information required through comparative analysis and observations.
If in <strong>the</strong> future this project were to be fur<strong>the</strong>r researched, an obvious progression <strong>of</strong> this
method <strong>of</strong> research would be to interlace o<strong>the</strong>r forms <strong>of</strong> qualitative based research to gain
greater understanding into what causes a person’s experience <strong>of</strong> place to be influenced,
ra<strong>the</strong>r than simply observing if it does.
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