Community Development Tips: Better field research

I was a trainer in a program to help college and graduate students become more effective housing and community development professionals.  Here are a few tips I shared with them, as well as a few more.

• Get a sense of the community by using a site or free program that uses aerial photography, such as Google Maps or Bing Maps (Formerly Microsoft Live Maps).
• Do land use, building condition and related surveys early in the morning.
• For safety and efficiency, surveys should be done by at least two people together.  Never do a windshield survey by yourself.  
• If you are working in a dangerous area (such as one with drug or gang issues), wear clothes that make you stand out.  You will be seen as less of a threat if you're trying to be visible.  Dressing like a municipal employee, or wearing an identity card around your neck also can help you look more conspicuous. 
• When passing auto-oriented uses, check the ground for oil and and other toxic chemical spills.  If the floor is dirty, there's a good chance the ground is to.  In other words: Likely brownfield.
• When doing density surveys: doorbells-mailboxes-meters.  These are your best field measures to determine how a building is subdivided.  Note: In locations with illegal apartments, a landlord may feed one meter into multiple units.  Also look for what seem like overly-large parking areas, compared to similar structures in the area.
• Every so often, give your eyes a rest and listen and smell.  What parts of the neighborhood are noisiest?  What parts smell the cleanest?
• If you are watching how people interact with the build environment, look like you have a reason to be standing around watching.  Buy a coffee or drink when you're sitting or standing outside.  Then you look like you're waiting for someone.  
• If you are asked what you are doing, avoid the word "redevelopment" (unless it is part of the formal name of your project.)  When people hear "redevelopment," they tend to think "eminent domain" and it can get a bit ugly after that... 
• Trust your feelings.  If you feel uncomfortable, get out of the area as quickly as possible.

Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP
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