Pedestrian Counts
In Southampton: we collected data from Millbrook residential area, Millbrook dock entrance, city centre near junction civic centre road, city centre outside boots, and city centre near junction with Briton street. In Dorchester: we collected data from South Street, Tesco roundabout, Maud Road and New Poundbury. A pedestrian count of pedestrians, lorries, cars, buses and motorcyclists was carried out covering a period of five minutes with results recorded in the table below. The reasons for doing this are so we can see what areas of Southampton are like and whether they are occupied or quiet during the day. In Millbrook residential area, the housing was fairly well kept and mostly not occupied during the day.
Transect Maps:
Throughout the city we listed the shops to see where the change in areas started to take place. The centre of the city, which has shopping centres such as West Quay, was the most popular for visitors as it had the best well-known shops in the area. As you go further from the CBD (Central business district) the amount of well known shops became smaller this is entering the transition zone or the area of change. In this area many shops are boarded up, for sale or for let and overall the amount of revenue these shops get is quite little. When filling in a transect map we listed if or not they were a comparison store or a convenience store. Comparison stores are the big name stores that you buy clothes and other Luxury and special goods and the convenience store are shops where you purchase food and low order goods and they shops like newsagents and spars.
Photographs and Annotated Diagrams:
Photographs of various places in Southampton were taken and annotated, mentioning the geographical features. Field sketches were also drawn; with annotations of the geographical terms e.g. the house was made of slate. This was in order to get actual photographs and field sketches labelled with the geographical features relevant to the work.
Results
Traffic and Pedestrian counts:
The table above indicates the different types of transport that are more frequent around different areas of the city. In the CBD where the entire major shops, offices and where the land is more expensive there are far more pedestrians for example in the city centre outside boots 76% of transport was pedestrians shopping or going to work.
Millbrook Road West (opposite shopping parade):
As this was a residential housing estate the results were limited as this urbanised area is used for homes in the evening for people who work in Southampton. This is quite a quiet area on the outskirts of the city centre or the suburbs, it was fairly quiet as the number of pedestrians who went by was low and there were only 10 cars that went by in the space of 5 minutes. This is because many people living in this area would be at work during the hours of us taking this survey.
Millbrook Dock entrance:
As Southampton is one of the UK’s major docklands areas the amount of containers waiting to be put on ships that were transported by Lorries around Southampton was high. 28 Lorries drove down this bridge. 70% was Lorries and the remaining 30% were cars. There weren’t any pedestrians as it is very dangerous for them the only people there were road workers on the site.
City Centre near junction with civic centre road
This was the second most popular place for tourists. As being in the CBD the amount of people is high compared with the amount of cars, buses ECT. All the facilities are here for people e.g. shopping which shows significant figures of the amount of people. People in this area were getting dropped off and picked up by buses as this is a popular station for shoppers to get on and off the buses.
City Centre outside boots
Again the city centre resulting in significant number of pedestrians shopping this was the most pedestrians we recorded in the given time limit of 5 minutes.
City centre near junction with Briton street
On this junction there were 11 cars that went by in the space of 5 minutes this shows that the majority of transport that went by was pedestrian shoppers or workers.
Maud Road
This road in Dorchester contains convenience stores such as Adams newsagents and Nisa. On Maud there is also residential housing and a local pub. This area is fairly mixed in terms of traffic and pedestrians as it is almost like a small town with the shops. From the results of the pedestrian count it shows that 15 cars go by as this is one of the major roads for getting into Dorchester. Because of all its shopping facilities 37 pedestrians go by in 5 minutes which averages 7.4 people per minute. Maud road has many residential houses therefore the amount of big Lorries that go through Maud road is low as the roads become narrower from the cars parked outside the houses. In comparison to Millbrook area, on the suburbs of Southampton Millbrook is a lot busier road being on the outskirts of a city rather than a town. Many of the houses on Maud road are council houses and not the case in Millbrook. Millbrook being on the edge of a city the average house price is £325, 000 compared to the £195, 000 of Maud road.
Tesco Roundabout
Tescos roundabout is one if the busiest places in Dorchester as that is the main roundabout where you can either go towards Bridport, Weymouth, Dorchester, and Bournemouth/Poole way. During the 5 minutes many cars went buy most cars out of anywhere I have visited in this coursework. Throughout the coursework it will be compared to Hedge End in Southampton.
South Street
This is Dorchesters main shopping street therefore the amount of pedestrian shoppers was high. The atmosphere is similar to the CBD in Southampton. There are not many cars that go down here only delivery trucks or emergency vehicles go down.
New Poundbury
Poundbury is an experimental new village on the edge of Dorchester. The village is built to a traditional high density urban pattern rather than a suburban one focused on creating an integrated community of shops, business and a mixture of private and social housing. The process is still continuing over new Poundbury and is expected to be finished over the next 25 years resulting in four new phases.
Mean Average of the Pedestrian Count
I am now going to calculate the mean average for each aspect of the pedestrian count this average is for all the areas in Southampton and Dorchester separate.
To calculate the mean average you need to add up all the data and divide it by the number of places visited. E.g. Cars: 4+13+17+6+2+0=42. 42/6=7 mean average = 7
Southampton
Dorchester
Growth and Decline Score Sheet
Growth and Decline Score Sheet for Southampton
From the bar chart I have found that some areas in Southampton are in decline and others in growth. In Southampton the areas that in decline are in this case Millbrook industrial, M&S to Bargate and Bargate to Britain Street. The environment in growth are growing into better places than those areas where they are let down and declined.
Growth and Decline Score Sheet for Dorchester
The results I have gained from the growth and decline score sheet in Dorchester overall show me a more positive element from what 3 areas visited in Southampton are declined none of the areas visited in Dorchester are declined they are all growing. this is because more people visit and live in Southampton which makes it prone to more vandalism, graffiti and litter.
Transect Maps
Transect maps:
The transect maps taken is not all the city but is just examples of the CBD in Southampton and that there are more shops in the city centre than recorded.
On Maud road there are only convenience stores as compared to somewhere like Millbrook where they have an equal split. This is why more people come to cities to shop rather than a town.
Key: Convenience store. Comparison store. To let or boarded up.
Millbrook shopping parade
From the transect maps above it suggests that in Millbrook there is a mixture between comparison and convenience store totalling in 8 convenience stores and 8 comparison stores. This gives the residents of Millbrook shops of high and low order goods. On top many of the shops in Millbrook are flats used for housing and there are also offices used for work.
Southampton Transect sheet 1
Pound Tree Road Regent Street
Ogle Road
Palmerstone Parks
New Road
Southampton Transect Sheet 2
Hanover Buildings
Southampton Transect Sheet 3
West Street
East Gate
Southampton Transect Sheet 4
Briton Street
Bernard Street St Michael Street
Dorchester Transect Sheet 1
South Street
Road
Durngate Street
Dorchester Transect Sheet 2
Maud Road
Road
Road
Road
Road
Dorchester Transect sheet 3
Tescos Roundabout
Annotated Photographs
Millbrook Houses.
Millbrook Industrial Area, Southampton Docks
Poundbury
Maud Road
Ocean Village
Data Analysis
Throughout this coursework I have received various bits of information. Relating back to my hypothesis I am now able to answer my questions and compare Dorchester to Southampton.
What are the different areas of Southampton like?
From the areas visited in Southampton we found a variety off different areas either in growth or decline. The areas in growth showed positive changes compared to with those of negative changes these areas are declined. Findings were also made about the CBD and the transition zone and the land values there. In the CBD the land value is so expensive that only business likes shops and attractions can afford to run there where they have a big sphere of influence of around 60 miles in a city compared to Dorchester where the sphere of influence may only be around 15 miles. As you enter the transition zone which is the area of change the value off the land decreases which makes people settle there and live. The houses in Millbrook residential area are well kept and so was Maud Road in Dorchester these places were both in growth on the growth and decline score sheet. From the transect maps it showed that the city centre of Southampton had more comparison stores than Dorchester this is because the big shopping companies locate themselves in cities to get more people as they know that the other big shops in the big shopping centres will also go there, all the companies are concerned about is the revenue they are making from the shoppers.
How do they differ?
The different areas in Southampton are among the different kind of uses in the same environment. Millbrook residential and the shopping parade are in growth while on the other hand Millbrook industrial are in decline. In the CBD in Southampton from the pedestrian count we found out that more people go by in 5 minutes than in Dorchester this is why some of the areas are more prone to litter and vandalism than others, compared to Dorchester as there are not as much people in the town centre which could create little or not as much litter on the streets keeping South street Dorchester in decline. Ocean village in Southampton is growing as it has recently been changed. It is built on a brown field site, a brown field site and compares to Poundbury in Dorchester which is on a green field site.
Is it like this in Dorchester?
From all the results we have found out all of Dorchester is in growth and becoming better. I would say that Dorchester is not similar to Southampton as many of parts of Southampton are neglected and as a result of that they are declining and getting worse for a good.
Are all cities the same as Southampton in terms of declining?
I would agree that all the cities in England are the same as they populate millions of people compared to a town where they populate only tens of thousands maximum. Because of the population in the cities they try to improver areas and make them nice by building on a brown filed site. This makes these areas nice and everyone comes to live in the nice areas of the city but only a certain number of people can live there. The other places in the city then become not looked after and prone to vandalism and more areas become neglected as the wealthier people move away into the nice news parts of the city like Ocean village in Southampton.
Are changes happening?
Throughout every city in England changes are happening some for the good and some for the bad. This is just an economical way of urbanisation.
Has it always been this way?
It has always been this way as the nice places in the city become nicer and the declined places in the city are declining more like Millbrook industrial port this is showed by the results of our growth and decline score sheet.
Why was the CBD of Southampton busier than Dorchesters South Street?
The shops that were in Southampton were on what a high demand high order goods and all the big shops were located there, on the other hand in Dorchesters south street there were many medium and low ordered goods for shopping. The sphere of influence is far greater for Southampton compared with Dorchester this is why Southampton is busier in the CBD. In the shops in Southampton the threshold population is far greater as the shops contain high ordered stock and more people are needed to keep the business alive which is also why the CBD in Southampton is much busier than Dorchester.
Why are Millbrook shops different?
The shops in Millbrook are different to Maud road as Millbrook gives you a taste of the kind of comparison shops that are in the city with there being 50% comparison stores 50% convenience stores. In Maud road there are all convenience stores and that is similar to what south street is like.
What land use model does Dorchester and Southampton fit in?
Dorchester fits into the Hoyt model and Southampton fits into the Burgess model we know this by the price of the land from the CBD to the High-class housing occupied by people who can afford the expensive properties and the high cost of commuting. This zone also includes the commuter (suburbanized) villages beyond the city boundary. Dorchester fits into the Hoyt model as there is a lot ofcountryside surrounding the urban area, those seeking to escape from the urban area can live in pleasant rural surroundings whilst still being close to work. Many satellite villages and towns surround major urban areas, allowing people to live further away from the main settlement.
Why is the industrial area of Dorchester quieter than Millbrook docks?
The industrial area of Dorchester is quieter than Millbrook docks because the docklands area in Southampton is a major port for the south of England for shipping masses of goods to and from Southampton. Dorchester on the other hand has not a high propriety in the sense of which Southampton does as it is only used for local and county shipping goods as Dorchesters industrial area is not as big as Southampton’s therefore the number of workers working there are less which results in a less busy area than Southampton’s industrial area.
What is competition of Hedge End shopping competing with the CBD?
The competition between Hedge End shopping and the CBD depends on what the tourists, want from their visit. Form the growth and decline score sheet it suggests that Hedge End is in growth and the contrasts is that some areas of the CBD are in decline. This would suggest that if the shoppers want a nicer atmosphere when they are shopping they would go to Hedge End and if they want the better shops they will go to the CBD. Transport wise the Hedge End shopping centre is much more convenient than the CBD because it is located just of the M27, this is a very quick way in to a shopping centre compared with Southampton’s CBD were it could take a long time to get into the CBD. The competition is significant in the sales decreasing in Hedge End as more and more people are shopping at the CBD for the more popular, better shops. From a recent survey around the area of Southampton it shows that 79% of all people prefer to shop at the CBD compared to Hedge End, this was because of numerous reasons for example: the CBD has a wider range of shops and they said the shops in the CBD were the popular, better shops than those in Hedge end. Those who prefer to shop at Hedge End (21%) said that: Hedge End it is much more convenient to get there as it is situated just off the motorway. They also commented on the fact that at Hedge End is much more pleasant as it is quieter than the CBD and the shops have a better range of stock as not as much people go there. One of the main plus points for an out of town shopping centre is the roofing and the weather control so you can go shopping in any weather compared to the CBD when it could be freezing cold and Raining. Also the shoppers that shop in Hedge End say that one benefit is the free parking compared with the CBD which cots a lot of money if you shop there often. Overall the competition is very one sided and that the CBD get more economically developed with better shops and more shoppers.
Graph to show the tourists response to where it is best to shop
What are the similarities and differences between Poundbury and ocean village?
The similarities between Poundbury and Ocean village are that both of the villages or upcoming and will be finished in the near future. Both of the villages represent I higher status with higher class housing and facilities than the CBD as people want to live in the nicest area possible. The differences between Poundbury and Ocean village are that Poundbury is a green filed site and ocean village is a brown field site. A green filed site is an area that hasn’t been used in the past and they are building on unused land and a brown filed site is when the site has already been used before so they have to demolish the existing site and build on that site.
Are there low order shops or high order shops in the CBD?
Most of the shops in the CBD are high order shops as shoppers expect good quality goods from shopping in the CBD and the shops that you get in the CBD you can’t find anywhere else. The business in the CBD expect many shoppers and to make a lot of money they need the majority of their shop and other shops to be a high order shop so shoppers come here to get the goods that they cannot get anywhere else.
Conclusion
The original aim was set to discover land uses in various parts of Southampton and to compare these with Dorchester describing any changes that have occurred or are occurring. By conduction the investigation I am now able to see what land use is really like in settlements and by comparing Dorchester to Southampton what it is like In a town and a city. The relationship patterns founded over the course of the enquiry result in some similarities In terms of Hedge End and Tescos area. From the results of the enquiry the two chosen settlements have their similarities but the majority of them compared together are differences. I believe that both towns and cities are dynamic in ways which they are extending them all the time e.g. Poundbury has increased the size of Dorchester by 30% in the last 10 years so that means that in 33 years Poundbury could make Dorchester 100% bigger which is twice the size of its original state. I don’t think that cities are as much dynamic as they don’t have enough space to build on compared towns where they have villages and countryside surrounding them. The enquiry has increased my understanding and awareness of the towns and cities around us and it gives us greater understanding of land use patterns in towns and cities by looking at our results.
Evaluation
Overall throughout the investigation I feel that we have collected enough data and that it helps us define our hypothesis. By adding more data to the investigation I feel it would improve our results and create a stronger link between the Dorchester and Southampton and back up the results already found. The collected data did not present any difficulties during collection as the procedure for collection was relatively simple but time consuming. The disadvantages of the techniques used were that the data collected from Southampton and Dorchester was not on the same day therefore it did not make the results as accurate as they could be. Also the timings were out for collecting the pedestrian count, in Southampton in the CBD it was about one o’clock and collecting the results for South street it was about 4’oclock. If this study was repeated the method used in this investigation would be changed slightly I would only change the pedestrian and traffic count, I would add what type of pedestrian whether it was a student an old age pensioner or a businessman I would then compare what areas what types of people and then compare that to Dorchester. Overall the results I collected were accurate as I was able to come to my analysis and conclusion knowing what was exactly found out between the Dorchester and the Southampton. There are many results that support my hypothesis, pedestrian counts to see if the CBD was busier than the South Street in Dorchester. There no results that reject the main hypothesis. My conclusion may not be similar to other given examples as this is a single town and a city being compared and may or may not reflect the other towns and the other cities. To increase the accuracy of my results I need to have more than one person helping me collect my results. E.g. having one person the centre of the CBD and one other person recording the same data in the Town centre at the same day and the same time this definitely would increase the accuracy of the results. Overall the results I collected were valid enough to give me strong conclusions from my hypothesis.
This study has helped my understanding of urban geography and how the urbanisation differs from town to city as before I thought they would be really similar and from this investigation I have found that they are very different in many ways but still similar in some ways.
To extend this investigation to make it something that could be used at university or the local council I would compare two different towns and two different cities to get a wider more accurate range of results. I would then compare the two towns to see how they differ and if they are similar. I would also compare the two cities to see the similarities and differences this would give me two investigations in one: Comparisons of the two cities, comparison of the two towns and the comparison between towns and cities. To make the results as accuray as possible I would use some kind of CCTV camera for the pedestrian count as during my investigation it was hard to count all the number of people in the CBD and therefore resulted in some kind of human error as we are not perfect which means that my results cannot be perfect and 100% accurate.