GEO 320 Urban Geography Fall 2009
Department of Geography and Meteorology, Valparaiso University
Valparaiso's Urban Morphology Field Exercise

The goal of this field activity is to observe and analyze the urban landscape as well as maps and derive a model of urban morphology for Valparaiso. The activity is related to the overall goals of the course in that it will give you practice in applying and critiquing the models of urban form that we have covered in lecture. It will also give you practice in interpreting the everyday urban landscape. You have been provided with a simple map of Valparaiso along with this exercise. You should also consult Google Earth (or Google Maps) as you put together your model.

What to Bring
Bring pen/pencil and a notebook to take notes on. You may wish to bring a camera to record your observations. Dress appropriately for the weather. Wear good walking shoes. Bring water if you wish.

Transect Analysis
The class will be divided into groups for the purposes of data collection but your analysis and assignment will be your own. Feel free to discuss what you think it going on with your classmates. Meet your group at the beginning of the class session at the corner of Garfield Ave. and Lincolnway (near the 7-11). You may begin before your professor arrives if you wish. From there you will walk towards the downtown either on Lincolnway or on one of the streets to the North or South of Lincolnway. Please be safe and cross at intersections and be observant of cars. As you walk towards downtown you will need to make observations about what you are seeing and create a sketch map of your observations. It should take you approximately 15 minutes to walk downtown, and 15 minutes to walk back. Take a different route back to campus than the one you took downtown. While you are downtown, take five to ten minutes to walk around the perimeter of downtown along some of the side streets as well as around the courthouse square. Your goal here is to identify any potential transitions between zones as well as any potential corridors or sectors. Start walking back to campus 15 to 20 minutes before the end of the class period so that you can make it to your next class or activity on time.

As you walk you should be making the following observations about the urban landscape:
1. What is the land use of each parcel you pass? Industrial, commercial, residential? Within each of those types of land use what subtypes do you observe? What kinds of industrial land uses? What types of houses; single family, apartments, duplexes? Etc.
1. What is the approximate age of the buildings along your transect? Use architecture, condition, and signs on the buildings themselves for clues.
2. What is the condition of the buildings, sidewalks, and other infrastructure?
3. What signs of change do you see? (construction, decay, for sale or for rent signs, etc.)
4. At what points along your transect do you observe a significant change in land use?
5. What is the spatial pattern and extent of land uses? How do land uses cluster? How do land uses change along your transect? How does the age of buildings change along your transect?
6. Who is out and about and what are they doing? How are people using the spaces of the city?

If you wish you may do more reconnaissance on your own on foot, by bike, or by car. Be safe!

Map Data
Before or after our walk on Monday use the air photos and satellite photos available on Google Earth, Google Maps, or Bing, as well as street maps of Valparaiso available online to make similar observations about land use for the rest of the city. Google Earth is available from the Application Launcher on any computer on campus.
What types of land use do you observe? How are these land uses located in relation to the overall structure of the city? How does the intensity (or density) of land use vary? How does the intensity of land use vary with distance from the center of the city? Do you observe clusters of land uses? What different kinds of land use districts can you identify? Draw a sketch map of the land uses of the city that you observe using Google Earth. Your goal is to be able to make generalizations about the overall urban structure of Valparaiso beyond the downtown.

Analysis
Take the data you have collected in the form of sketch maps and your observations and derive a generalized model of Valparaiso's urban morphology. Like the models we talked about in lecture and discussed in your textbook you will need to identify zones, corridors, sectors, nodes, and/or other "structures" that exist in Valparaiso. Present your analysis in the form of a generalized diagram/map (like those we examined in class and in the text) and a narrative describing your conclusions about the urban form of Valparaiso. Your narrative should include the following:
1. A description of your model of Valparaiso's urban morphology.
2. A discussion of the processes that may have created the patterns that you have identified in your model. Here you will be making inferences based upon your observations and what you know about how cities work.
3. A short discussion of how Valparaiso does or does not fit the various models presented in your text and class.

Final Product
Your final product for this exercise will consist of three parts.
1. Your data including, the sketch maps that you drew while doing your transect and while working with the satellite photos as well as any other notes or records you made.
2. A map/diagram of your model of Valparaiso's urban form.
3. An analysis paper (3-5 pages) that describes your conclusions about the urban form of Valparaiso and includes the three elements identified above.