Windshield SurveyA windshield survey is an assessment of a community conducted by traveling around the

community in a car or using public transportation to making observations about a community and its dynamics. The results should yield a basic description about the community, its health and members. The data gathered will help identify healthcare strengths and weaknesses in the specified community. Community Health Nurses use information gathered in a windshield survey to identify the unique features and needs of an individual community. The data is used to make inferences about community healthcare needs, shape nursing practice, and interventions by identifying how the geographic, cultural and functional dimension of the community affects community-nursing care. The group conducted a Windshield Survey of Concord, North Carolina (zip code 28027) on March 17, 2010. The information gathered in this survey allowed the surveyors to make basic assumptions about this community and assisted in the identification of the needs for a specific population within the community.

Elements & Descriptions Community Observations

BoundariesWhat the natural, physical and economic boundaries? What signs are there of where this neighborhood begins and ends? Does the neighborhood have an identified name?

BoundariesThe boundaries of the community are mainly physical. The physical boundaries include highway 73 also called Davidson Highway, Highway 601 and Highway 49. There are no clear boundaries that indicated where this community ends or begins.

The economic boundaries in this community are very distinct. The area surrounding Concord Mills Mall contained newer higher income housing developments and a few large apartment complexes. The rural areas in this community contained a mix of both high income and low-income housing. Many higher income neighborhoods had signs indicating the name of the development. The lower income housing for the most part did not have any identifying information and were not located in traditional neighborhoods.

Housing and ZoningWhat is the age of the housing, architecture? Are all the neighborhoods similar in age and architecture? How would you describe the differences? Are they detached or attached? Is

Housing and ZoningThe age of the housing ranged from brand new to being built in the early 1900’s. The large homes tended to be new construction from the 1980’s to the present. The new and old homes

there space in front and behind? What is their general condition? Are there signs of disrepair?

were spread evenly throughout the community. Many of the rural homes were located on farms. Most of the housing was single-family homes, but there were a few attached housing complexes located in the area.

There are apartments with vinyl and brick exteriors including the newer apartments within walking distance of Concord Mills Mall. Section 8 housing and apartments are older, probably built in the 1980s.

The single-family homes consisted of traditional and manufactured homes. The houses were constructed from brick, wood, aluminum, vinyl siding, and shake materials. The older houses were typical traditional ranch style, while much of the new housing was two story brick. The homes that appeared to be built prior to the early 1990’s were on large several acre lots. In comparison, newer and high-income homes tended to be in neighborhoods on small landscaped lots (less than .25 of an acre) that were well maintained. Many of the rural low-income homes appeared to be in a state of disrepair. They had broken doors, rotting siding, and overgrown lawns with rusting cars. Some open land contained abandoned dilapidated barns.

Most new neighborhoods have open spaces behind the homes, but typical the house is surrounded by other homes on all sides. Older houses typically have large front and back yards.

Signs of DecayIs the neighborhood on its way up or down? Is it alive?

Signs of DecayIn the urban area, there were many retail spaces empty and a few abandoned buildings. The streets had a moderate amount of litter. The area surrounding Concord Mills and near I-85 had many new retail centers that were well maintained and busy. The rural areas of this zip code appeared to have several closed and/or abandoned businesses. The most notable business closings observed in the area were the Philips Morris Plant and a large car dealership

on one of the main streets.Open SpacesHow much open space is there? What is the quality of the open space? What is the lot size of the houses? Do you see trees on the pavements, a green island in the center of streets? Is the open space public or private?

Open SpacesThere is a great deal of open space in this community. The majority of the open space appeared to be grazing land for cattle or used for other farming purposes. In the urban area, there was limited open space, no trees and no green ways in the center of the streets. The open spaces were privately owned. For the most part, there were no sidewalks in the urban area or the neighborhoods in the community.

Cabarrus County Country Club is a private golf course in the community. There is one public park, Frank Liske Park. The park had a pond, paved walkways, playground equipment and a covered picnic area. The survey was completed on a sunny day and several families were seen at the park walking and playing.

Common AreasWhat are the neighborhood hangouts? For what groups, at what hours? Does the “commons areas” appear to open to the public?

Common AreasJoe’s Sports Bar and Grill appeared crowed. It was located in Afton Park and is a place for sports fans to come together on the weekend or after work. It was advertising the NCAA basketball tournament. There were several shopping plazas, with Concord Mills being the most popular. Many people (especially teenagers) walk around the mall as a way to socialize. Children were observed playing on the playground at the elementary school.

The common areas, particularly located near Lowe’s Motor Speedway and Concord Mills Mall, appeared welcoming and open to the public. It was inferred that this is related to the draw of people from all over the region, state and country to these venues.

Street PeopleWhom do you see on the street? Do you see anyone you would not expect? Is the dress of those you see representative or unexpected?

Street PeopleVery few people were seen walking around or on the street. Several people were seen pumping gas and going into retail establishments. The appearance ranged to professional dress to dirty torn clothing. Several workers were seen doing landscaping and road improvements. The people observed appeared to be representative of the community

and the groups expectationsRaceAre the residents Caucasian, African-American, or of another minority group, or is the area integrated?

RaceTaking note of the makeup of the people observed in the community, the majority of the community was Caucasian and African American. There appeared to be areas of integration but the majority of the housing appeared to be divided not only along economic but racial lines.

EthnicityAre there indices of ethnicity?

EthnicityThere was little evidence of ethnic diversity in this community. A small Hispanic influence was noted in the community. There were a few restaurants that indicated this influence one of which was Mexico Lindo.

ReligionOf what religion are the residents? Do you see evidence of heterogeneity or homogeneity? What denominations are the churches? Do you see evidence of their use other than on Sunday mornings?

ReligionSeveral religious establishments were observed in the community. All that were seen were of a Christian denomination. There was some variability in the type of Christianity. An Apostolic (Pentecostal Christian denomination) and Baptist church were seen. The survey was conducted during the week and no activity was noted at the churches. The community showed evidence of homogeneity in religious preferences.

TransportationHow do people get in and out of neighborhoods? Are the streets and roads conducive to good transportation and to community life? Is there a major highway near the neighborhood? How frequently is public transportation available?

TransportationThe primary mode of transportation appeared to be the car. This is a large and mostly rural community with no sidewalks, so walking is not a viable means of transportation. Public transportation signs were noted in more populated areas, but the public transportation was not seen during this survey. Since much of this community is rural, a car would be necessary. The community is also home to the Concord Regional Airport.I-85 bi-sects this community from North to South and provides connectivity to the entire Piedmont Region.

IndustryWhat are the major industries? Are there any apparent occupations?

IndustryRetail related to Concord Mills Malls appeared to be a major industry, along with Lowe’s Motor Speedway and NASCAR. Manufacturing and Food Processing were two other major industries identified. Perdue, Sysco, and S.D Coffee are located in this

community. In addition, a cement processing facility and PreGel provide employment opportunities for community residents. This area has recently sustained industrial loss with the closing of the Philip Morris Plant.

StoresWhere do residents shop? How do they travel to shop?

StoresResidents shopped at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Aldi and Lowes Foods for groceries.

Concord Mills Mall, Target and several small shopping centers appeared to be busy place for shopping. Due to limited public transportation and no sidewalks, the majority of people traveled in cars to do their shopping.

Service CentersDo you see social agencies, clients, signs of activity at the school? Are there offices of doctors, dentists, palmist, and spiritualists? Are there parks? Are they in use?

Service CentersThe hospital that serves this community is Carolina’s Medical Center (CMC) Northeast. In addition, there are several physicians and dental offices. The community is also served by Urgent Care at Poplar Tent and Piedmont Healthcare-Urgent Care. Another healthcare resource in this community is Concord Place Assisted Living on Rock Hill Church Road.

There are several pharmacy options in the community, which include CVS, Rite Aide, Walgreens and Medicap Pharmacy.

There was activity noted at both the public and private schools in the community. One private school that was seen was the Cannon School. The Sunshine House provides education services and tutoring to children for a fee.

Several social service agencies were seen in the community including Lifespan Enrichment and Employment, Church of God Children’s Home for children who have been abused or abandoned and the Adult and Adolescent Counseling Center. While touring the community, a Department of Social Services vehicle was seen, in addition to police and fire vehicles.

The YMCA on Langford Avenue is a faith-

based facility that provides children’s programs, exercise class and many more family focused activities.

Health and MorbidityDo you see evidence of acute or chronic disease or conditions? Of accidents, communicable diseases, alcoholism, drug addiction, mental illness? How far is the nearest hospital or clinic?

Health and MorbidityThere were few outward signs in the community of acute and chronic diseases or conditions. People were observed smoking cigarettes and a few obese residents were seen. An increased acceptance of smoking in this community maybe related to the tobacco industry being a major employer in this community until 2009. Many fast food restaurants were noted and appeared to have a steady stream of customers. Two fitness facilities were observed, but one had gone out of business. There were no sidewalks noted throughout the entire community. One ABC store liquor store was seen in the community. The nearest hospital is CMC Northeast and is only a few minutes outside of the community. Several manufacturing facilities were noted in the community, which can have a significant effect on health depending on the emissions, environmental impact to the community and the working conditions.

PoliticsDo you see any political campaign posters? Is there a headquarters present? Do you see evidence of a predominant affiliation?

PoliticsLarry Kissell’s office, the 8th districts’ representative in the United States Congress, was seen but no other signs of political activity in the community were noted.

MediaDo you see outdoor television antennas or satellite dishes? What magazines and newspapers do residents read? What media s most important to the residents? Are there information posters and advertisements?

MediaSeveral outdoor television antennas and satellite dishes were seen on homes throughout the community. The most important source of media appeared to be television. The news that was seen around town was the Charlotte Observer. There were local advertisements on billboards for local business and service throughout the community. Information and advertisement were also seen on telephone poles.

Modified from Stanhope, M. & Lancasater, J: Foundations of Nursing in the Community, Third Edition, St. Louis: Missouri, 2010, Mosby Elsevier