An overview of the scientific inquiry of built environment

Learning Objectives:1. To understand and describe the major steps in the conceptualization stage of urban design and planning research.2. To identify the determinants or domains of urban design and planning.

Lecture 2July 2009

Empiricism

• Scientific inquiry is based on empiricism. Empirical evidence is the only means scientists use to corroborate, modify, or construct theories.

• Scientific inquiry has to do what is, not what should be.

What is the problem this study investigate?

A greenway network for SingaporeThe greenway movement in Singapore began in the late 1980’s as a proposal for an island-wide network of green corridors. The paper traces the conceptualization, planning strategy and implementation of this greenway network. The capitalization of under-utilized land along drainage channels and beside carriageways for pilot greenway projects ensured government backing for the projects. The challenges faced in implementing the projects and the solutions taken to advance the greenway concept are discussed. Garnering public support for the completed sections generated resources and conferred additional flexibility to the land allocation process, allowing the concept to evolve. Strategic partnership with key land-use agencies and the overview of a national Garden City Action Committee for conflict resolution facilitated the process. Lessons are drawn from the implementation of the pilot projects to inform subsequent greenway development efforts, enhancing the usage and multi-functional capacity of the greenways. The Singapore experience provides a model for greenway planning and implementation for other rapidly urbanizing cities in Asia.

Objectivity

• Researcher should strive to suppress value judgments to minimize bias in their findings. In social sciences, maintaining objectivity is difficult through no fault of the researchers.

Research Purpose and Types of Research

• Exploratory research is usually conducted when relatively little is known about the phenomenon under study; that is, the subject of study is itself relatively new and unstudied (Shi, 1999). For example, little is known the impact of green spaces on creating identity of town in Malaysia (Mazlina and Ismail, 2008).

• Exploratory research often results in generating meaningful hypotheses about the causal relationship among variables or in identifying a more precise research problem for investigation.

Research Purpose and Types of Research

• Exploratory study may also be conducted when the researcher is examining a new research interest. For example, investigating the role of Padang as a public place in Malaysian towns or cities. In other words, the subject has been studied by others but not the researcher.

Research Purpose and Types of Research

• Descriptive research is conducted to describe some phenomenon. Descriptive studies summarize the characteristics of particular individuals, groups, organizations, communities, events, or situations as completely, precisely, and accurately as possible, with the ultimate purpose of formulating these descriptions into conceptual categories.

Research Purpose and Types of Research

• Explanatory research, also called analytic or causal research, attempts to seek answers to research hypotheses or problems. It may be conducted to explain factors associated with a particular phenomenon, answer cause-effect questions, or make projections into the future.

• While exploratory research is concerned with questions of what and descriptive with questions of how, explanatory research answers questions of why and what will be.

Exploratory research Descriptive research Explanatory research

Purpose Gain familiarity,

insight, conduct new

area of research

Describe

characteristics of

units under study

Test hypotheses,

answer cause-effect

research questions;

make projections

Questions to answer what how Why, what will be

Rigor in study design little enhanced Great

Theoretical guidance little some required

Knowledge about

subject matter

little somewhat A lot

Research methods qualitative Survey research Experiment

Sample size small large Medium to large

Number of variable univariate Univariate, bivariate Multivariate

Term Meaning Relevance

Model An overall framework for looking at reality (e.g. behaviouralism, feminism, functionalism) For instance, functionalism looks at the function of social institution.Model tells us what reality is like and the basic elements it contains (‘ontology’) and what is the nature and status of knowledge (‘epistemology’) and it is referred to as ‘paradigms’.

Usefulness

Concept An idea deriving from a given model (e.g. ‘stimulus-response’, oppression, social function’) For instance social function deriving from functionalism. Concepts offer ways of looking at the world which are essential in defining a research problem.

Usefulness

Theory A set of concepts used to define and/or explain some phenomenon.Theory consists of reasonable relationships produced among concepts and sets of concepts (Strauss and Corbin, 1994). Without a theory such phenomena as ‘gender’, ‘personality’ or ‘space’ cannot be understood by social science. In this case without a theory there is nothing to research. Theory provides:1.A framework for critically understanding phenomena2.A basis for considering how what is unknown might be organized

Usefulness

Hypothesis A testable proposition. In many qualitative research studies, there is no specific hypothesis at the outset.

Validity

Methodology A general approach to studying research topics. It refers to the choices can be made about cases to study, methods of data gathering, forms of data analysis etc. in planning and executing a research study. In social research, methodologies may be defined very broadly as qualitative or quantitative. Like theories, methodologies cannot be true or false, only less or more useful.

Usefulness

Method A Specific research technique. This includes quantitative techniques, like statistical correlations, observation, interviewing and audio recording. Techniques are not true or false. There are more or less useful, depending on their fit with the theories and methodologies being used and the hypothesis being tested and/or the research topic that is selected. For instance, behaviouralist may favour quantitative methods and interactionists often prefer to gather their data by observation. Behaviouralists may sometimes use qualitative methods for instance, in the exploratory stage of research. Equally, interactionists may sometimes use simple quantitative methods, particularly when they want to find an overall pattern in their data.

Good fit with model, theory, hypothesis and methodology

Research Topic

• The choice of a research topic is influenced by:Research aims addressing an design or social

problemTesting or constructing a scientific theoryThe researcher’s personal interest: commitment of

researcherResources available: fundingProfessional award and recognition: e.g.

sustainable city

Discussion question

• The following three topics are studies published in journals. What is the type of research of the topics?

1. Public policies for managing urban growth and protecting open space

2. Meaning and form in community perception of town character

3. Place attachment, place identity, and place memory: Restoring the forgotten city past