Francis Corrigans Responsive Environment

We have now reached the final observation of this study on the public's use of the Telfer Underpass in Dalry. The results of todays findings, in conjunction with all previous observations will be used as the basis for the Phase One Coursework Report.

Up until this point no interviews have been carried out so as not to influence any of the observations, and have been performed today in order to find out if they validate or contradict what has been surmised by carrying out these observations.

Observation

Date: 20/03/15

Time: 16:30 - 17:30

Weather: Light, windy, cold (5°)

Findings:

I arrived at the observation point at 16:30 and as has been the case for most Fridays the underpass is very busy, so much so that I need to move my observation point to standing in the entrance of the overpass from the stairs as I was in peoples way.

It is not dissimilar to other busy days during the week, there are a great deal of people passing through each minute, too many to count and certainly in the hundreds.

As the use of the underpass does not seem to be changed much I focussed on attempting to interview the public. This was troublesome at first, many did not have the time to talk (understandably as this is not generally an area for congregation).

However during the hour I managed to interview the necessary 3 people.

A brief synopsis of my interviewee One:

The interviewee is male, lives nearby and uses the underpass at least twice a day, most days of the week. His main use for the underpass is getting between his flat and getting to Haymarket Station for his commute to work, and any time he is heading to that part of the city.

He has never really considered any other uses for the underpass, although likes the childrens murals at either end of the underpass, and thinks they brighten the area up.

With the exception of the murals interviewee one does not like the look of the underpass, he mentioned it is painted over frequently but always covered in generally bad graffiti. He also mentioned how it usually looks in a state of disrepair.

When asked about the reported violence and troubles in the underpass interviewee one had never encountered any violence himself, but has heard about it, and admits it can be daunting depending on the evening, but necessary to get home without a detour.

The following excerpt is from my interview with Two:

Interviewee two is a female student who also lives nearby and uses the underpass frequently as it is the main route between her flat and surrounding areas such as the park at the southern entrance to the underpass.

Similarly (and what seems to be a recurring theme) interviewee two does not see any additional uses or methods of appropriation for the underpass, it is simply a route for getting between area. Although interviewee two did mention that she is fond of the buskers who play regularly, and they can often cheer her up.

I questioned about the perceived safeness of the underpass and she mentioned that she does not feel particularly safe going through the underpass on her own in the evening. After 9 o'clock interviewee two will very rarely use the underpass unaccompanied and look for alternative routes.

For interviewee Three, I purposefully chose another female as the results of my observations are veering towards the projects ability to make this area safer, particularly for females.

Interviewee three is female and works closeby in a call centre, her use of the underpass is limited to just before 9am and just after 5pm Monday - Friday unless she swaps shifts, takes overtime etc.

The interviewee is not all that familiar with the underpass except for her two 30 seconds journeys each working day, but noted that it does not look very inviting or particularly safe. 

For the penultimate observation I decided to observe at a time not previously taken into consideration very early in the morning. So (large) coffee in hand I began to observe what occurred in the overpass when many would be still in bed. 

Observation

Date: 10/03/15

Time: 07:00 - 08:00

Weather: Dark, calm, cold (4°)

Findings:

On arrival, as assumed there was not a great deal of traffic going through the underpass, it was a good 5 minutes before seeing another person – a fairly long time for this busy underpass. 

Over the duration of the observation there were only around 35 members of the public who passed through. What I had not envisioned was that a large proportion of these would be dog walkers (11 from my tally) making up over a third of all traffic.

For the remainder of the observation not a great deal happened, especially in the beginning. By the time it got to 7:40 I had only seen roughly 15 people (most of these dog walkers) but as it drew closer to 8:00 the volume increased and I started to see more people beginning their morning commute.

Overall there was not a great deal to take away from this mornings findings with the exception of the huge increase in the amount of dogs. 

The main observations from today (between 7-8am on a cold Tuesday morning) are:

Exceptionally low footfall (compared to every other time period)

A few member of the public running to catch something

1/3 of all traffic was dog walkers

As I was having a relatively early start in the library today I thought I would squeeze in an observation and have breakfast at the same time.

Observation

Date: 06/03/15

Time: 09:00 - 10:00

Weather: Light, calm, mild (10°)

Findings:

When I first arrive at 9:00 a few with bags are running through the underpass for what I would assume to be work or public transport. A few minutes pass and another runner goes by, this is often the case so close to the normal starting time of 9 for most jobs.

After these runners the use of the space almost slows to nothing. Around every 5 minutes a few people will pass through, walking at a regular pace and doing nothing out of the ordinary.

I continued to observe for the remainder of the hour, however nothing of note, and certainly nothing that has not been observed before came to light.

This observation has shown that the underpass is not always busy, as it has previously seemed. Going on previous findings about the area not being safe at night – if the following proposed installation can in some way make this an area that people would come to see and use in their spare time, then it would not only be utilised more during the day, but this could cross over into the evening transforming it into a communal and safe area.

The main observations from today (between 9-10am on a mild Friday morning) are:

Very low footfall

We are now reaching the final three observations and have already came to some solid conclusions regarding the use of this space at various times and days. These final observations should, in theory, bostler conclusions that have already been drawn and will possibly highlight undiscovered or infrequent uses of the space which had not been considered.

Observation

Date: 02/03/15

Time: 16:00 - 17:00

Weather: Light, windy, mild (11°)

Findings:

Today has been resoundingly similar to previous observations made during the week.

The first half of the observation seemed to be far busier than the second, with many of the public walking at an increased pace, this I assume could be attributed to commuters and the final off-peak trains departing from nearby Haymarket Station at ~16:30.

As usual during the week there were a significant amount of the public on bicycles, ~10-15 of the 100 or so people who used the underpass. After reading the articles in the previous post about violence and attacks there has been call for an overground crossing for the road above and it would be interesting to see the effect this would have on the underpasses footfall (or “bikefall”).

Upon finding my usual spot to sit at it was clear the dynamic of the space has changed considerably in the 6 hours since I left.

There were a few groups using the underpass consisting of 4-6 people, these people seemed to be classmates from university.Almost everyone else looked to be travelling to or from their place of work bar a few exceptions. Those who were alone almost exclusively either had headphones on or were using mobile phones.

Today we also had both a busker playing a guitar, an older gentleman I have seen previously but not during these observations and two Jehovah’s Witnesses with a leaflet stand. Many of the public smiled and took notice of the busker, confirming that an auditory factor could be useful to implement. I did not see anyone stop to speak to or take a pamphlet from the Jehovah’s Witnesses.

The main observations from today (between 4-5pm on a mild Monday evening) are:

There was a steady footfall (increased between 16:00-16:30)

There were a few groups, mostly university students

As is often observed mid-week many were on bicycles (10-15)

Most travellers on their own, no real awareness of surroundings

The second observation carried out today was undertaken between 8-9pm after I had finished up in the library at university. The weather has not changed much since this morning, it is still cold and windy, but is now very dark.

Observation

Date: 21/02/15

Time: 20:00 - 21:00

Weather: Dark , windy, cold (6°)

Findings:

Upon finding my usual spot to sit at it was clear the dynamic of the space has changed considerably in the 6 hours since I left.

The underpass is significantly less busy when compared to this afternoons observation, around 25 people used the underpass in this hour. Many of those who used the underpass were in small groups of 2-4, and from what I could see and here seemed to be coming or going from bars, in high-spirits and having a laugh.

It seemed that those who were on their own, not unlike previous observations mostly had headphones on, and were passing through as quickly as possible. leaving us with two distinct groups, lone walkers in a rush, and groups taking a more meandering approach to travelling.

Linked to previous evening observations, there was a lack of anyone using or stationed in the space throughout the observation (e.g. buskers, Jehovah’s Witnesses or beggars) – this is more than likely attributed to previous conclusions surrounding the ‘safeness’ (or at least perceived safeness) of this space in the evenings.

Whilst not directly relevant as it is not my own observation, after theorising perceptions of this space, and in particularly the evenings I came across a few worrying articles:

http://www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2011/04/calls-for-cctv-for-telfer-underpass/

and

(Disclaimer – May be particularly hard to read, subject of sexual assault)

http://news.stv.tv/east-central/189475-cctv-planned-for-underpass-where-woman-was-subjected-to-eight-hour-rape/

After reading these articles it is very apparent that this underpass, whilst full of life during the day, is much more sinister in the evening. My assumptions about the evening (based on the footfall and ratio of females to males using the underpass) were correct and not far reaching enough.

There have been many petitions to erect the (now installed) CCTV in this area and calls for an increased police presence. It seems clear now that the core focus of the following design fiction should be to subvert the evening use of the underpass, hoping to dissuade criminals etc. from using the underpass and allowing the general public to feel safer.

This will more than likely be the last time I spend an entire hour observing this area in the evening considering the violence and muggings which have occurred.

The main observations from today (between 8-9pm on a cold Saturday evening) are:

It was fairly quiet

Those who were in groups were not in a rush

Those who were alone were in a rush

There was an even distribution between groups and single travelers

No one observed stopped for any meaningful period of time 

Again I will perform two observations in one day. No observations have yet been performed at a weekend and as I will be in Edinburgh today I will take this opportunity to monitor afternoon and evening use of this underpass.

The first observation took place between 1-2pm on a typically windy and cold day, it was however a bright and sunny day.

Observation

Date: 21/02/15

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Weather: Sunny, windy, cold (8°)

Findings:

I tried not to have any preconceptions about the use of this space. Having said that I had a feeling that despite it being the weekend it would be relatively quiet today as most of the traffic during the week has been from commuters and university students.

It was cold today, but not nearly as bad as recent observations, making it easier on both the observer and for observations (the public were not rushing to get out of the cold).

Today the underpass is really quite busy, over the course of the observation approximately 100-120 people passed through the underpass.

Today the most notable observation that came to light was the significantly fewer suits and business attire being worn. In hindsight this is something that should have been monitored more closely in previous observations, however it was clear that the 10% or so wearing business dress is a drop from almost 50% recalling previous interactions from memory. This highlights a possible need for changes to the installation informed by these observations. Either an installation which caters for as many as possible, or transforms into something else based upon the time and day.

Although it was very busy today, the public passing through did not seem to be rushing in contrast to most previous observations. I would assume this is largely due to it being the weekend and fewer of the public having obligations such as work or university. More than likely related to this is the huge increase in groups using the underpass. Almost a third of the public passing through the underpass were in groups of two or more (one particularly large group of 8 was observed) and these groups on average took much longer to walk through as they were talking whilst walking. From this we can assume that for an installation to be embedded into the environment here the most likely users would be the large groups taking their time to pass through. This could also serve the purpose of breaking up the group dynamic, inviting them to split up and explore separate interactive areas.

Again there was a busker in the underpass during this observation, today people were more likely to wait and listen this time and also more likely to tip money.

Slightly cheating, after the observation concluded I made my mway to university, and while doing so observed that many of those passing through the underpass northwards, would turn left and head towards the Fountain Park Entertainment Centre meaning they were either heading to a bar, coffee shop, restaurant, bowling, or to the cinema. These are strong indicators to relevant interests of the public using the space, at least at the weekend.

Many bikes were again observed, and based on the frequency of their popularity in this area must be taken into account for the following design fiction.

The main observations from today (between 1-2pm on a cold Saturday afternoon) are:

It was very busy (on a level with rush hour commuting)

The public did not seem as rushed as previous observations

Far fewer commuters/businesspeople

Increased stopping to listen to busker

More large groups

Bikes continue to be used often in the underpass

Inspiration

Inspiration

Seeing as I would be in university late this evening I decided that I would complete a second observation in the same day. There is now a relatively well-rounded idea of how this space is utilised morning-afternoon mid-week. This observation will begin to highlight if and how the space is utilised in the evenings.

This observation took place between 7-8pm on a rather cold evening, and is a stark contrast to how the underpass is used throughout the day, most notably in traffic.

Observation

Date: 18/02/15

Time: 19:00 - 20:00

Weather: Dark, windy, very cold (1°)

Findings:

The temperature has dropped since this morning – only by 1°C but it feels considerably more. This feeling of cold could probably be attributed to the harsh wind that is blowing this evening. However – passing through the underpass did not feel nearly as bad, this could be an additional reason for the public to use this space. This could in a sense be seen as appropriation of the space as it is designed primarily for travelling from one side of a busy road to another. 

The most glaring observation that would get in the way of the public using this space in the evening is how it looks, underpasses in general in the evening tend to be rather uninviting environments and this is no different. The underpass is lit adequately well with fluorescent strip-lighting throughout – which is bright but at the same time harsh and unnatural. Both entrances to the underpass have sub-par street lighting.

Following on from this, it is very apparent that many of the public passing through the underpass are not completely comfortable with the area at this time of the evening. Many removed their headphones prior to passing through, highlighting a lack of feeling safe. Virtually everyone whom I observed made their way through the underpass without stopping and at a pace similar to those rushing at the morning-peak.

The use of this underpass is significantly less in the evening, I observed 21 users, which equates to one person around every three minutes. This is around a 82.5% reduction in traffic from earlier in the day. A reduction was envisaged, but not by this amount. I would contribute most of this to the almost ominous feeling when approaching the underpass alone, with the only sound being that of the traffic from the road above. This reasoning is bolstered by the fact that nearly all of the users were men, which implies that females may seek alternative, and longer but safer routes at this time of evening.

Whilst this observation seems much shorter than others it has raised some extremely telling areas for research pertaining to the design fiction. It is obvious that the underpass is used infrequently at this time of the evening, and the data suggests that it is not a particularly welcoming place, especially for women.

From this I have concluded that the best course of action for the design fiction would be to increase the safety of the underpass in the evening – utilising technology, lighting and sound to both invite the general public and deter those who would cause trouble,

The main observations from today (between 7-8pm on a cold Wednesday evening) are:

The underpass is adequate shelter from the elements

Currently looks uninviting and dangerous in the evening

Users passed through in around 20 seconds, all rushed

100% passed through without stopping

Harsh lighting

Less bikes than morning/afternoon

Far fewer female users – aim to increase feeling of safety

Inspiration

Synesthesia, Davenport Underpass, Toronto 2014

This observation was undertaken during the afternoon in order to get a differing perspective from the previous observations. It is still midweek and relatively early, however this is lunch for a considerable portion of the workforce and schools and should therefore inform some interesting observations.

Observation

Date: 18/02/15

Time: 12:00 - 13:00

Weather: Bright, calm, chilly (9°)

Findings:

This time was not quite as busy as I had first anticipated, relatively similar to the first observations findings in terms of footfall, I observed around 2 people passing through each minute again. The public who were passing through were certainly not in as much of a rush as the second observation and most were likely having a relaxing lunch break.

Many who passed by were walking at a slow pace and around 15-20 during the hour were eating takeaway food whilst doing so, this shows that this time of the day could be ideal for soliciting an interaction from the public and that they are more likely to have the time to stop and enjoy whatever is envisioned for the underpass.

Groups of children were common, all making noise and making their way through the underpass at a particularly slow pace. I would assume that any sort of interaction installed would be used by most, if not all, of these children.

This time the sound of the underpass was very different from both previous observations; the large groups of children contributed to this; but most notably was the presence of a busker.

The sound of the buskers guitar and singing engulfs the underpass, and this noise is added to by the infrequent sound of change being tossed in the guitar case, the noise of children, footsteps and bikes. Around 5 people stopped in the middle of the underpass to watch the busker and more slowing their walking pace considerably. This signifies that not only an audio element, but a musical one should be considered for the design fiction (as it is clear this has been the most effective way to slow the public through this space).

Although today's observations did not wield a large amount of 'new' data – by comparing it with the previous observations we now have a relatively well rounded picture of how the space is utilised from early morning to afternoon. The busiest footfall times are apparent, along with when the public is most susceptible to stopping and interacting with something in the space.

The main observations from today (between 12-1pm on a chilly Wednesday) are:

Public do not seem as rushed, and are more relaxed than other time periods

Again around 120 possible interactions with participants to be made (high volume in a confined space)

An average of 30 seconds to engage or hook said participants

>80% pass through without stopping

Seem more prone to engagement 

Consistently large volume of bikes

Busker playing (seemed to have slowing effect on speed of public)

Far noisier due to increased amount of children and busker

Inspiration

Some inspiration from a kinetic lighting installation installed in the Larrisa underpass in Australia.

Designed to be more welcoming and deter vandals

For my second observation this week I decided again to observe in the morning but even earlier again. Mondays observation showed a large amount of traffic going through this overpass even during a time where most areas are quieter than usual, the purpose of this observation will be to see how much this changes during peak commuting hours – 8-9am

It was clear already that from my walk from Haymarket station to the underpass that it would be considerably busier than the previous observation and should result in very usable data in order to begin brainstorming ideas for the design fiction.

Observation

Date: 14/02/15

Time: 08:00 - 09:00

Weather: Bright, windy, cold (2°)

Findings:

Again this morning was extremely cold, almost freezing, and so far the biggest challenge with conducting these observations has been the cold. This has however given me a few ideas already for informing my design fiction; this environment is clearly the shortest route for many journeys in this area, resulting in everyone simply passing through. It is already, by design, shelter from the elements such as rain. If heat were to be incorporated in some manner, that alone would encourage the public to take their time when passing through.

My assumptions concerning how busy the underpass would be were correct. This time it has been considerably harder to even attempt at counting the amount of people using the underpass concurrently. My best estimates put the footfall at around 250 over the course of an hour. It is also worth noting that the public also seemed to travel at a quicker pace (probably to get to school, uni, work etc. before 9am)

This time virtually no one stopped as they were travelling, I surmise this is due to the traffic in front and behind of them making it more of a hassle, this being said as many as 1/5 seemed to have a glance at their phone whilst making their journey through the underpass. The number of bikes seemed to be in keeping with the ratio of before, I counted 21 and this seemed to make up most of the noise made in the underpass.

Aside from the increase in numbers using the underpass the largest change was the presence of two Jehovah's Witnesses based at the southern entrance to the underpass. They were here when I arrived and there when I left. Both stood about 5m from a portable stand with literature and were offering said literature to most who walked by. Almost everyone passed them by without conversation or taking literature (this could be due to everyone rushing for school, work, university etc. but in my experience not many people stop to talk with these volunteers in other areas).

At the very least every second member of the public who passed me were wearing headphones of some nature.

This raises two points: 

Around 50% of those using the underpass would respond well to auditory stimulation

Around 50% of those using the underpass would be significantly distracted and need an eye-catching visual element in order to gain their attention

The sound of the environment as mentioned earlier was dominated by bicycle bells, however with the extra footfall the echoes of footsteps are much more pronounced and result in a very organic sounding backdrop of noise.

In conclusion the results from todays observations are very similar to the previous with a noticeable increase in the number of users due to the time of morning. As this time of day is dominated by those commuting it was considerably easier to determine distinct groups of people using the underpass.

Office workers

Students

School children

Parents of young children

The elderly

Cyclists (who will make up many of the other sections but warrant distinction)

The main observations from today are (between 8-9am on a cold thursday):

A wide variety of groups (listed above)

250 possible interactions with participants to be made (very high volume in a confined space)

An average of 20 seconds to engage or hook said participants

>95% pass through without stopping

All seemed in a rush

1 in 5 checking phones

Large volume of bikes

Jehovah's Witnesses attempting to pass out literature

Most of the public listening to headphones (visual stimulation needed to grab attention)

14-18% of all traffic are cyclists (must be taken into consideration in design fiction)