| Description |
Observation is one of the classic, essential methods of studying the interaction between people and places. A systematic direct observation fosters researchers' understanding of urban public life in an objective and measurable way. In direct observation, a researcher observes the activities of humans rather than intervening in their behavior and asking questions, and then documents, analyzes, and interprets the behaviors. Main tools include manual counts, video recording, and automatic counts. Each method has pros and cons, so an observer can choose a method depending on the purpose and context. However, these methods take place in a limited number of locations which may not represent the entire area of interest. To fill the gap created by the lack of appropriate observation tools, this dissertation explores the usability of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, to observe people's behavior in public spaces. As UAVs cover a greater area in a shorter amount of time, they save time and money required for data collection. They are also more informational as they can capture the user activities, attributes, and spatial patterns. The use of UAVs has become popular in environmental studies. This study is one of the first attempts to employ UAVs to observe people's behavior in public spaces and integrate the benefits of human observation and video recording. This dissertation consists of three papers that share core concepts of urban design and behavioral research. The first paper develops a new observational tool using UAVs to survey park-based physical activity and tests its reliability and validity. The second paper establishes a consistent methodology for pedestrian observation through the use of UAVs and tests its reliability. Using UAV-observed park-use data, the final paper establishes a comprehensive statistical model that estimates the number of park users by type (e.g., age group, gender, and activity level) and accounts for the attributes of park environments and community characteristics. Compared to traditional tools, a more efficient and reliable observation tool using UAVs could lead to savings in cost and time for both researchers and practitioners collecting behavioral data and comparing it across various communities. |
