Public Life Studies are critical to our understanding of how public spaces function. Through careful and systematic observation we are able to understand if public spaces serve the needs of people, including dimensions of comfort, safety, and ease of mobility for pedestrians. Typical Public Life Studies involve counting pedestrians and cyclists, and an inventory of stationary activities and behaviors. The findings of these surveys and observations inform strategies to change the public realm, as well as help us understand the impacts of changes.
Typical Public Life Study Phases include the initial study design, the training and scheduling of individuals for data collection, the aggregation and validation of completed data, and the data analysis and visualization for final reports. The data gathered from studies provides insight into when, where, and why people are using public spaces. Understanding this basic information can lead to ideas about how the space can function better to support a lively atmosphere, and how to improve the quality of the space.
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