Instructions: Happy Cities Public Life Study
How to measure wellbeing in shared spaces in your community.
First things first: Why do a Public Life Study?
The Public Life Study measures how people use and feel in shared spaces. You can study any space—like a street, plaza, park, patio, or sidewalk. However, the Study is primarily designed to help you assess a space that has been transformed through some kind of placemaking intervention (like a design change or events programming).
Through the Public Life Study, you will collect data to help you measure the impacts of your public space on community wellbeing, including social connection, trust, inclusion, and safety in the space. The data you collect can help inform future design and programming improvements, and can even help build the case for greater investments in public space—in communities worldwide.
Data you will collect
There are two components of each Public Life Study:
Behaviour observations: Quantitative data is collected through observation of who is using a space and what they are doing there (measuring social and antisocial behaviour).
Intercept surveys: Subjective data is collected through a short wellbeing survey. Staff or volunteers intercept people to ask them questions about how they feel in the space (measuring qualities such as sociability, trust, safety, and belonging).
Step 1: Prepare for your Public Life Study
Step 1.1. Design your study
Select your site(s), and determine which option you will use to collect data. We recommend collecting data in one of two ways:
Option 1: Assess one site at two different points in time and compare results:
Collect data before and after a public space design change or program to measure the impacts of the initiative. This approach is ideal when you are able to plan your Public Life Study before a public space transformation has been implemented, and want to measure how people’s wellbeing in the space changes after implementation.
Option 2: Assess two different sites at the same time and compare results:
Collect data at two separate sites to assess how one “transformed” space is used in comparison to another “control site” nearby. A control site should have a similar built environment, transportation patterns, and be located within the same neighbourhood (or have similar demographics to the study site). This approach is ideal when you want to study a public space that has already been transformed, and want to compare the data to a similar site nearby that did not receive the same intervention.
Step 1.2. Plan your data collection times and days
To gain a comprehensive picture of wellbeing in a given space, we recommend conducting at least three data collection sessions on site (including both behaviour observations and intercept surveys). Data should be collected at different times and days of the week (e.g., morning, afternoon, evening, and weekday vs. weekend). In total, it may take five hours or more to collect data across all sessions. We recommend planning for:
Behaviour observations: 30 minutes per session
Intercept surveys: 1-2 hours per session
Step 1.3. Set a data collection target
To increase statistical confidence in the data, aim to collect at least 100 intercept surveys in total. These numbers may be adjusted depending on your site’s use and your organization’s capacity. The study is designed to be flexible. However, keep in mind that the fewer data points collected, the less accurate the findings may be.
Step 1.4. Prepare required resources
Print materials: This study requires printed observation sheets (see step 2.1 below), printed or digital intercept surveys (see step 2.4), pens, and clipboards.
Gather your team: A team of two to four data collectors is recommended (staff or volunteers). For the safety and comfort of your team, we recommend sending people out in pairs.
Part 2: Conduct your Public Life Study!
Once you confirm your site(s) and team of data collectors, you’re ready to get started! Remember, while collecting data, try to stay out of the way and not influence people who are moving through or using the space.
To collect behaviour observation data:
Step 2.1. Gather materials
Bring several printed copies of both data observation sheets (“moving” and “staying”) and bring a clipboard. More than six pages of data collection sheets may be needed for a busy site. While observation data can also be recorded digitally, we recommend printing the sheets due to the fast-paced nature of this activity.
Step 2.2. Find a good spot to observe from
Find a subtle location to observe the space. This will reduce the likelihood that people will notice they are being observed, which may skew your results. However, it is unlikely that your team of data collectors will fully obscure themselves. As such, it is important to:
Consider the team as participants in the space.
Critically review observation findings for anomalies or unusual behaviour patterns.
Choose locations with similar levels of prominence/obscurity at all sites that you study.
Step 2.3. Collect data
Record information on everyone who moves through the space (see, Observation Sheet - Moving) and stays in the space (see, Observation Sheet - Staying)
To conduct the intercept surveys:
Step 2.4. Gather materials
This short survey can be printed or conducted digitally (on a phone or tablet).
Step 2.5. Collect data
Approach people staying and moving at the site with a short, friendly, and engaging prompt, such as, “Hi, we’re doing a survey about wellbeing in public space. Do you have two minutes to answer a few quick questions?” (People will decline more often than they accept. Don’t be discouraged!)
Conduct the survey by asking each question and recording the response.
Note: All questions included in the Intercept Survey ask people about how they feel in the moment. If you want to ask opinion questions (about the future of the space, support for a program, etc), we recommend asking a single question about this, and make it the last question you ask, before asking the demographic questions.
Part 3: Analyze your data
Congratulations on completing your Public Life Study!
But what do all your results mean? Get started on data analysis by completing the following steps:
Step 3.1. Digitize your results
Download the (D) Data entry sheet (with additional instructions and helpful tips).
Digitize the (A) Observation Sheet - Moving and (B) Observation Sheet - Staying, by inputting the recorded numbers into the data entry sheet.
Record your survey responses in the survey tab on the same data entry sheet.
Step 3.2. Share your data to receive a fee analysis report!
As part of our Public Life Study release, Happy Cities is offering a free, high-level analysis report of your data with key results and charts, which you are free to use, share, and modify to communicate your results. To receive the analysis, please submit your completed copy of the (D) Data entry sheet using the form below, or via email.
Note: In order to receive the free analysis, it is important to fill out the sheet exactly as it is set up (e.g. please do not change or add new categories). The free analysis is available for up to 500 data points. If you are interested in working together to analyze a larger data set, or would like to measure additional wellbeing or demographic indicators, please contact us.
Step 3.3. Assess your results
Once you receive your analysis report (or after conducting your own data synthesis), it’s time to take a look at your results!
During this step, you can consider questions such as:
How does your chosen public space perform on various aspects of community wellbeing (for example, social connection, trust, safety, inclusion) compared to before the public space transformation (or compared to your other control site)?
Do people of different genders, ages, abilities, or other lived experiences feel or act differently in some spaces compared to others? Or, do you see a lack of representation of some groups compared to others?
What design or programming interventions stand out to you as most successful in the space? What future improvements might help make the space more inclusive and accessible to diverse groups?
Note: The data you collect through your Public Life Study provide a snapshot into wellbeing, social connection, and inclusion at a particular time and space (or set of spaces) in your community. Comparing demographic results from the Public Life Study with census data, for example, can highlight equity gaps, and suggest that certain groups may feel more or less welcome in a space. However, it is important to note limitations of the Public Life Study, including that comprehensive demographic information is not always collected (e.g., race, culture, and ability).
Step 3.4. Share your results!
Thank you for helping to generate more evidence on the value of public space! We encourage you to share your graphics, charts, and findings with your audiences, online and in person.
When sharing, we encourage you to:
Tag Happy Cities on social media, so that we can help amplify your findings!
Please provide appropriate reference to the Happy Cities Public Life Study methodology
Data submission form
Terms of use
By sharing your data, you grant Happy Cities the right to add your results to a secure, Happy Cities-managed database of public space transformation data. The data will only be available for non-commercial uses, such as for researchers, blog posts, and gathering evidence to make the case for greater public space investments in Canada.
Have questions? We invite you to email us.