Mapping with communities: Putting learning into practice Chris Perkins The University of Manchester The project: Methods, products and results

Chris Perkins

The University of Manchester

1. The Community Mapping Project Funded by Neighbourhood Renewal Money through the Joint Health Unit of the City Council over two years September 2004 – September 2006 Manchester-wide remit Talk to the people Cycle, walk Commute, leisure Work, home

Funded by Neighbourhood Renewal Money through the Joint Health Unit of the City Council over two years

September 2004 – September 2006

Manchester-wide remit

Talk to the people

Cycle, walk

Commute, leisure

Work, home

Mapping the city from below healthy living Keep technology as simple as possible mapping to change behaviour communities decision makers

healthy living

Keep technology as simple as possible

mapping to change behaviour

communities

decision makers

Maps and lifestyle Social process Participatory Empowering Context matters

Social process

Participatory

Empowering

Context matters

Our project evaluated possible source material explored how the mapping process might be employed to change lifestyles devised appropriate methodologies in a case study of Manchester focused on the iterative design and collaboration

evaluated possible source material

explored how the mapping process might be

employed to change lifestyles

devised appropriate methodologies in a case study of Manchester

focused on the iterative design and collaboration

Numerous external participants community links Local authority sponsoring Researchers collating negotiating SED Carto Unit map design internal collaboration Who was involved

Numerous external participants

community links

Local authority sponsoring

Researchers collating negotiating

SED Carto Unit map design

internal collaboration

Identify the routes Decide on design that works Map the routes and identify problem areas Publish as paper copy and on the web Test and change the design

Identify the routes

Decide on design that works

Map the routes and identify problem areas

Publish as paper copy and on the web

Test and change the design

2. Methods Analyse existing maps Involve the community Pilot maps Content Design Interactivity

Analyse existing maps

Involve the community

Pilot maps

Content

Design

Interactivity

Analysing existing designs Map evaluation matrix Criteria e.g. Usability Aim Size / scale Format / layout Legend Readability Colour Best practice?

Map evaluation matrix

Criteria e.g.

Usability

Aim

Size / scale

Format / layout

Legend

Readability

Colour

Best practice?

Community involvement Who Cyclists (and potential cyclists) / Walkers Transport planners Environmental officers Health professionals Ordnance Survey How Repeated focus groups Key respondent interviews Base map annotation What Routes and facilities Problem areas Infrastructural need Design suggestions Where Manchester-wide Work-place and leisure

Who

Cyclists (and potential cyclists) / Walkers

Transport planners

Environmental officers

Health professionals

Ordnance Survey

How

Repeated focus groups

Key respondent interviews

Base map annotation

What

Routes and facilities

Problem areas

Infrastructural need

Design suggestions

Where

Manchester-wide

Work-place and leisure

(re-) cycling

3. Case studies to illustrate methods

Aimed at student staff and other employees Lack of product Funding Support Easy involvement Cycling Maps

Aimed at student staff and other employees

Lack of product

Funding

Support

Easy involvement

Cycling Maps

Content and design of pilots

Content and design of pilots

Paper map prototype

Fitting design to product

Student and staff ‘ ranges ’

Photos NOT maps

Photos NOT maps

Photos NOT maps

Symbolic change

Symbolic change

Text placement and alignment

Corporate colours

Corporate colours

Final staff design

Final student design

Walking Apply cycling design model to different context 100 routes Larger scale City wide Different community involvement Check out the web for progress

Apply cycling design model to different context

100 routes

Larger scale

City wide

Different community involvement

Check out the web for progress

The variety of walking

The variety of walking

Changing gear from commuting to leisure Extend case study to More routes City wide Leisure

Extend case study to

More routes

City wide

Leisure

4. Lessons from methods Collaboration Politics Funding Targeting Tensions

Collaboration

Politics

Funding

Targeting

Tensions

5. Products Web Hard Copy Scales Themes

Web

Hard Copy

Scales

Themes

Web site Accessibility Cost Currency Interactivity Feedback http://www.sed.manchester.ac.uk/mapping

Accessibility

Cost

Currency

Interactivity

Feedback

Mix of product and process Product downloadable .pdf files Flash-based mapping Links and publications

Mix of product and process

Product

downloadable .pdf files

Flash-based mapping

Links and publications

Small scale web-served overviews serving as indexes Walks

Cycle routes Small scale web-served overviews serving as indexes

Large scale mapping of specific sites or routes Ours Campus cycling Flash-based

Ours

Campus cycling

Flash-based

Large scale mapping of specific sites or routes Ours Campus cycling facilities PDF

Ours

Campus cycling facilities

PDF

Other peoples: hot-linked Pace Stepping Out Clayton Vale

Complement other mapping: don’t duplicate

4. Conclusions Ongoing process Technology allows fluidity Negotiation negotiation negotiation Involvement engages, ownership prolongs Political influence Real world matters Practice makes perfect?

Ongoing process

Technology allows fluidity

Negotiation negotiation negotiation

Involvement engages, ownership prolongs

Political influence

Real world matters

Practice makes perfect?