Create a community walkability survey

When you walk home from school or go to a nearby park, is your community walkable? Are the sidewalks in good condition? Is it cool enough because of trees and other structures shading your path? Do cars move at a safe speed? Can you walk to the park or school within 10 or 20 minutes from where you live?

Walkability is an important strength or asset in a community, as it promotes physical activity and community interaction. This in turn improves the health of residents and can contribute to attracting more businesses and increasing home values.

A walkability assessment, or walk audit, is a well-documented community engagement tool to evaluate the built environment for pedestrian safety, accessibility, and ease of use. It is a widely used exercise that brings members of a community together—from different ages, abilities, and experiences—to take action to improve their community's walkability. These assessments involve going out in pairs or small groups and walking along a route in a neighborhood while making observations of the walking experience. The findings are gathered and assessed to determine the types of improvements needed and where they should be implemented to encourage walking.

A survey can help facilitate this activity, organize the responses, and allows you to visualize the results using charts and maps. It is important to find ways to share survey findings with participants so they are included in every step of the project.

Using ArcGIS Survey123 web designer, you will build an online survey to answer the project question—what encourages or discourages walking to local parks in my community? You will build a survey with a variety of question types, demonstrating both qualitative and quantitative data collection. One of the advantages of building questions and collecting data with Survey123 is the ability to visualize the survey results in a web map. The map is a compelling and interactive way for the community and other key stakeholders to engage with the findings.

In this tutorial, you will do the following:

• Plan the questions for the survey
• Build a survey using Survey123
• Conduct the survey
• Visualize the survey results in a web map

This tutorial was last tested January 12, 2024.

View final result

Requirements

• ArcGIS organizational account with a Publisher, Facilitator, or Administrator role in an ArcGIS organization (see options for software access)

Create a community walkability survey

Plan the survey questions

Surveys consist of a series of questions that many people can answer. By collecting responses from a variety of people with different opinions, experiences, and perspectives, you can better understand the most common or most important priorities from this group of people. You can then use that information for decision-making and taking action.

Before you start building your walkability survey, you'll need to plan and define what kind of information you need to collect to help you design the questions. This process is called project design. There are three main steps to project design:

• Determine a research question.
• Work with your community to determine what information to collect and how to collect it.
• Write survey questions to collect the data.

The research question should summarize purpose. You can ask questions such as the following:

• Why are you collecting this information?
• What do you want to know?
• Who will be collecting this information?
• What do you hope to achieve with this new information?

For this tutorial example, you want to collect information to know where are the built environment features someone might encounter while walking to nearby parks and whether they encourage or discourage walking. You want to create this survey so anyone in the community can participate, and the findings will both serve as a community building exercise and help inform the areas that need improvement to encourage more walking.

1. Write a research question to guide your community walkability survey.

   Consider the following questions:

   • What feels good or bad when walking in our neighborhood?
   • What encourages or discourages walking to local parks?
   • What are signs of safety or unsafe walking experiences in our community?

   For this tutorial, you will use the research question what encourages or discourages walking to local parks in my community?

   Now that you have your research question, you will plan the types of questions you might ask to gain this information and the types of data you need to answer the question. Try using questions that begin with who, what, when, where, and why to help you brainstorm ideas.

2. Write questions that will answer your research question.

   Consider the following examples:

   • What walkability feature are you observing?
   • Why is it a sign of safety or lack of safety?
   • Who is most affected by this feature or lack of feature?
   • Where is this feature located?
   • What condition is the feature in?

   Next, you will determine what question types will best capture the questions you want to ask. There are many question types, including text, dates, rating scales, images, and a location. Each of these allow you to collect and visualize the data in different ways.

   The following are descriptions of the question types you will use in this tutorial:

   Question type	Description
   Singleline text	A text box with a single line input.
   Single select	Multiple-choice question; only one choice can be selected.
   Likert scale	Multiple-choice question; select one of a series of choices using a symmetric agree-disagree scale.
   Map	Collects a point, line, or polygon on the map.
   Image	Take one or more photos with the camera or upload image files from the device.

   Note:

   To see all the question types available in ArcGIS Survey123 web designer, see Web designer essentials.

3. Write your survey questions and question types.

   Note:

   It is best practice to adapt the sample questions provided below to best fit your project design and community's experiences.

   Question	Response options	Question type
   Share a photo of your observation.		Image
   Write a one-sentence caption for how the photo answers the survey question.		Singleline text
   What type of street feature are you observing?	Crosswalk Sidewalk Curb Ramp Street Trees Public Art Architecture	Multiple choice
   Where is this street feature located?		Map
   What condition is the street feature in?	Very Bad Not Good Acceptable Excellent	Likert scale

   Finally, you'll consider how many responses are needed to answer the research question. If everyone in your class contributes one location, is that enough data? Or another way to think about it is to consider how many different perspectives do you need? What are some strategies you could use to make sure the survey participants are representative of those who live in the community?

4. Set a goal as a class for how many data points you need to collect and how many people you should survey.

   Later in this tutorial, you will practice submitting 10 responses so that you can visualize the resulting data on a map. But in practice, it is recommended that you have at least 12-30 participants contribute at least 30 entries each.

   Now that you planned your walkability survey, you are ready to start building your survey using ArcGIS Survey123 web designer.

Next, you will use ArcGIS Survey123 to build your walkability survey. ArcGIS Survey123 is a data-gathering web app that allows you to create and share surveys and analyze the results.

Set up the survey

You will create a blank survey and set up the survey details and title, and use your research question as the survey description.

1. Go to the ArcGIS Survey123 website and sign in with your ArcGIS organizational account.

   Note:

   If you don't have an organizational account, see options for software access.

2. On the ribbon, click New survey.

   

3. For Blank survey, click Create survey.

   A blank survey appears. You'll start by filling in the survey details.

4. Click the Edit survey info button.

   

   The Edit survey info window appears.

5. In the Edit survey info window, for Name, type Community Walk Audit and add your name or initials.
6. For Summary, type Walk audit survey to assess what encourages or discourages walking to local parks.

   

   Next, you will add a thumbnail image. Not only does this customize the survey, it will help distinguish this survey from other surveys you create in your account.

7. Download the image baltimore_street.
8. In the Edit survey info window, click the placeholder thumbnail image.

   

9. Navigate and click the image you downloaded. Click Open.

   The image is added as the survey thumbnail.

   

10. Click OK.

    The survey details are configured. Next you will set your survey title and description.

    This will be helpful for your survey participants to confirm they are working on the correct survey and remind them of the key research question the survey will explore.

11. Click Survey title not set.

    

    The Survey header pane appears on the Edit tab.

12. In the Survey header pane, for Text, delete the existing text and type Community Walk Audit.

    

13. In the survey builder pane, click Description content for the survey .
14. In the Survey description pane, delete the existing text and type What encourages or discourages walking to local parks in your community?
15. Highlight the text. Set the text style to large.

    

    The survey title and details are set.

    

    You can start adding questions.

Add questions to add an image

In this section, you will begin to add different types of questions. The Add tab lists the different types of questions you can add to the survey. You will start with adding questions for participants to capture an image and write a caption for their photo.

Photography is an accessible way for people of all abilities and ages to creatively express their experiences. By providing a way to add an image of an observation, you create a qualitative option for people who want to document their observations in a more visual way.

Note:

The concept of using photography for community engagement comes from the community-based participatory research method, Photovoice. To learn more, see Photovoice as a Method for Revealing Community Perceptions of the Built and Social Environment.

1. In the design pane, click the Add tab.

   

2. Under Media and files, drag the Image item to the survey.

   

   An Image question is added to the survey and the Image pane appears.

3. In the Image pane, for Label, type Photo. For Hint, type Share a photo that answers the question.

   Next, you'll add a question to provide a caption for the photo.

4. Click the Add tab and drag the Singleline text question below the Photo question.

   A Singleline text question adds to the survey.

   

5. In the Singleline text pane, for Label, type Photo caption. For Hint, type Share a one sentence caption to describe the photo you shared.

   You have added questions for participants to document their observations using a photograph. Next, you will add more questions that capture data more qualitatively.

Add a single select question

Next, you want your participants to share what kind of built environment or street feature they observed that influenced how they felt walking in the community. You will add a question that will allow your surveyor to choose from a list of common built environment features.

1. On the Add tab, in the Choice section, locate the Single select question type.

   

2. Drag the Single select question type below the Image question.

   A Single select question type is added to the survey.

3. In the Single select pane, for Label, type Community feature or asset.
4. Under Choices, replace the existing text with the following options:
   • Crosswalk
   • Sidewalk
   • Street Tree

   

5. Click the add button to add more options.

   

6. Continue adding more choices:
   • Curb Ramp
   • Public Art
   • Architecture

   

   There may be additional features and assets you did not anticipate, so it can be helpful to include an Other option.

7. Check the box for Allow "Other".
8. Under Appearance, choose Horizontal (compact).

   

   The question options appearance updates on the survey.

   

   You also want to require this question to be answered when a participant completes the survey. Under the Validation section, you can check a box to make this question required before a participant can submit the survey.

9. Under Validation, check the box for This is a required question.

   

   You can confirm that the question is a required question by the asterisk at the end of the question in the survey.

   

   You have added a Single select question type.

Add a map question

In this section, you want to capture where the street feature was observed. You will use the Map question type to accomplish this.

1. On the Add tab, under the Location section, drag the Map question type below the Single select question.
2. In the Map pane, for Label, type Where did you make this observation?

   By default, the map question type uses the Topographic basemap at the extent of the whole globe. To focus your map, you will set the basemap and map extent to focus on your project area. This will save your participants time so they don't have to search and zoom in to the map every time they make an entry.

3. For Map and extent, click Edit.

   

4. Click Organization's basemap gallery and choose ArcGIS Online.

   Note:

   You can create this map by completing the ArcGIS tutorial Build a community asset map.

   

5. In the search bar, type Baltimore community asset map owner:Learn_ArcGIS and press Enter.
6. In the list of results, choose the Baltimore community asset map (Final) map.

   

7. Click OK.

   The Baltimore community asset map web map appears as the basemap in the Map pane.

   You will zoom in and adjust the map extent.

8. Use the Zoom in button and pan the map to set the extent of the map closer to the project area.

   

   The map includes symbols for where public schools and parks are located, and the green outline represents your project area.

   Now the map will open at this extent with the map of your project area whenever the survey is opened. To make the process even easier for your participants, you will set the default location to ask users for their location. If they are out in the community conducting the survey, the survey will detect their location and adjust the map extent to their approximate current location.

9. Under Default location, choose Use device location and ask for location when answering this question.

   

   You want to visualize where the assets and features are within your project area, so you will set this question to be required.

10. Under Validation, check the box for This is a required question.

    You have configured the Map question.

Add a Likert scale question

The last question you will add will ask the participants to rank the condition of the street feature they are observing. A Likert scale is widely used in research and helps capture responses within a range of options.

1. On the Add tab, drag a Likert scale question type below the Map question.
2. In the Likert scale pane, enter the following:
   • For Label, type Asset or feature condition.
   • For Maximum value, click Custom and choose 4.

   

3. For Choices, type the following choices:
   • Very Bad
   • Not Good
   • Acceptable
   • Excellent

   

   All the questions have been added. Next you will save and publish the survey.

4. Click Save.
5. Click Publish. In the Publish Survey pane, click Publish.

The survey design is now complete.

Configure collaboration settings

Before you share a link of your survey for others to participate and complete, you will configure the collaboration settings for the survey.

1. Click the Collaborate tab.

   

2. For Who can submit to this survey?, check Members of my organization.

   

3. For Survey status, choose Schedule the open/close date and time. Choose the Open and Close date and time.

   

4. Click Save.

   In the Share this survey section, under Link, there are many options for how you can share a link to the published survey. You can copy and paste the provided URL, you can generate a QR code, and you can open a new tab with the live survey.

5. Click the Open the survey in a new tab button.

   

   The survey appears in a new tab. You can share this link with your participants to complete during your walk audit activity.

Collect data

You can open the survey in a web browser on a mobile device while walking through your community and complete the survey each time you want to add an observation.

If there are certain areas of the community that are not accessible or you and your group are unable to physically walk the neighborhood to complete this activity, you can also complete it remotely. However, for the best experience and most up to date, accurate assessment, it is best to complete the walkability assessment in person if possible.

Consider reviewing these resources for guidance on organizing and conducting a walkability assessment:

• Conducting a Walk Audit from the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability
• Walk Audit from the World Health Organization
• Have you every done a walk audit? from Los Angeles Walks

1. Open the survey.

   

2. Choose the community asset you observe. For this example, click Crosswalk.
3. In the map, click the point where the observation was made. Click a crosswalk in the study area.
4. Rate the condition of the crosswalk as Not Good.

   

5. Click Submit.
6. Repeat until you have at least 10 entries. For the Map question, add points within the green project area boundaries.

   Note:

   You will have the option to continue the tutorial with a completed dataset of survey entries.

Locate survey results

Now that you have several survey entries, you will learn where to locate them in your ArcGIS organizational account.

1. If necessary, sign in to your ArcGIS organizational account.
2. Click the Content tab.

   

3. In the Folders section, locate and click the Survey-Community Walk Audit folder.

   Every time a new survey is created using Survey123, a folder is automatically created starting with the title Survey- followed by the name of your survey.

   

   The folder contents appear.

   

   The folder contents include the survey form and three feature layers. You can open the Form to edit your survey in Survey123. The feature layer ending in _results contains the visualization of your survey responses as a point layer.

Visualize results on a map

Now that you better understand where the survey results data is located, you will add this data to a web map.

1. Open the Walk audit results (Learn) web map.

   This web map contains data for public school and park locations and the outline of your project area.

2. Sign in to your ArcGIS organizational account.
3. If necessary, on the Contents (dark) toolbar, click Layers to open the Layers pane.

   Tip:

   To see the toolbar labels, at the bottom of the toolbar, click Expand.

4. In the Layers pane, click the Add button.

   

5. Search for and locate your Community Walk Audit_results layer. Click the Add button.

   Note:

   Optionally, you can use a prepared layer Community Walk Audit (Learn) Survey Results. Search ArcGIS Online for community walk audit owner:Learn_ArcGIS.

   

   The survey results are added to the map.

   

   The map shows the survey responses as points within the priority community area.

   The default style for survey response locations is red circles. You will adjust the style to convey more information about the survey responses.

6. In the Add layer pane, click the back arrow.
7. In the Layers pane, ensure the Community Walk Audit_results layer is selected.

   

   The blue line on the side of the layer indicates that the layer is selected.

8. On the Settings (light) toolbar, click Styles.

   

9. In the Styles pane, for Choose attributes, click Field.
10. In the Add fields window, choose Community feature or asset and click Add.

    

    The style updates to show a different symbol color for each type of asset. Map Viewer automatically recognized the data type as being categorical, and automatically chose this style based on the data within the attribute table. While there are more style settings you can customize, for this tutorial, you will accept the default style settings.

    

    There are many ways you can visualize the survey results. For example, you could use Filter to only show Street Tree assets and style them by Asset or feature condition. This will help highlight which areas have more street trees in poor condition.

    Note:

    To learn more about Smart Mapping, see the story Smart Mapping: Types (unique symbols)

In this tutorial, you learned how to design a survey to answer a research question about walkability in your community. You built a survey using a variety of question types, collected survey data, and visualized it on a map.

Walkability assessments and audits are a powerful tool for community engagement and decision-making. The results can provide insights into the priorities of the community and serve as a communication tool to decision makers who might be more persuaded to support positive changes identified through the community engagement process. Regularly conducted walk audits are also beneficial to track progress toward community develop and equity goals.

Consider repeating this workflow for your community and customize it to your neighborhood's needs and experiences.

You can find more tutorials in the tutorial gallery.

Acknowledgements

• All Adobe Stock images are © 2024 Adobe Stock. All rights reserved.
• USA Parks: Esri, TomTom
• Public School Characteristics - Current: National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) Education Demographic and Geographic Estimate (EDGE) program
• Human Geography Map sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community