December Update:

Due to scheduling issues we have missed our intended November launch. We have therefore decided to postpone the launch of the POS Tool until after the holiday season when we are able to launch the entire Tool with full functionality. We intend to have an advertised launch mid year. Check back in April for an update and please accept our apology for any inconvenience this has caused.

On Tuesday, 23 October the Centre for the Built Environment and Health, and Gaia Resources hosted a targeted workshop with stakeholders interested in using the POS Tool for Planning purposes. The workshop’s aim was twofold: demonstrate the beta version of our web based POS Tool and discuss proposed functions to include in the second phase of software development. The workshop was held at the Australian Urban Design Research Centre and included stakeholders from Lendlease, the Cities of Belmount and Swan, SKM, the Department of Sport and Recreation, Praxis Economics, Placescapes, Department of Planning, and UWA’s Urban Design Centre.

Participants were first provided with an overview of the project and POS data followed by a demonstration of the POS Tool (beta version) and examples of the proposed data interrogation and integration functions in the second phase of the Tool’s development. After the presentation, a Q and A session was followed by a broad discussion of stakeholder needs and desired functionality prompted by the examples mentioned above.

Current functions of the POS TOOL (phase 1) presented were: - please see previous blog for screen captures of each.

1.    Search by address, park name and suburb

2.    Query of POS amenity for a park

3.    Statistics concerning the distribution of POS and POS amenity in each Suburb/LGA

4.    The ability to combine and download data concerning POS distribution and amenity, and population characteristics for each Suburb/LGA.     

Examples of advanced functions for phase 2:

1.    Calculate POS statistics for a user defined area. Users could upload their own polygon boundaries for which statistics on POS amenity and population characteristics would be calculated. Output information could then be exported for analysis.

2.    Calculate POS statistics for buffered points. User could upload a spreadsheet with Latitude and Longitude coordinates which would be buffered (user specified distance).  Statistics on POS amenity and population characteristics would be calculated for each buffer as well as the distance from each buffered point to surrounding parks.

3.    Calculate level of POS service under current situation and future scenarios with ability to change the value of variables such as population density, and population structure and the provision of POS and POS amenity.

 

An overview of some of questions and answers are as follows:

Q: How are distance measures calculated?
A: On the initial search page as the crow flies but all statistics are calculated based on street network distance.

Q: Does ‘Hockey’ mean there is an actual hockey pitch?
A: Yes.

Q: Is there a description of types of facilities included in the data set?
A: Yes, proper metadata will be provided. This is on the way.

Q: Are POS boundaries based on the cadastre?
A: No, boundaries are hand digitised.

Q: Can LGA’s provide data to the system if it conforms to the POS Tool standards.
A: Not at the moment but this would be useful for updating the data and keeping the dataset current.

Q: Do population statistics (i.e. catchment statistics) employ dasymetric mapping techniques?
A: Not at the moment.

Q: Can we determine the areas without access to parks?
A: Yes, the final version of the system will include a heat-map of accessibility which will be a layer that can be turned on and off.

Q: Will you include a ‘Quality’ score?
A: We intend to and have a place holder in the data model and the webpage.

Q: Will you include crowd-sourcing as an approach to developing a ‘Quality’ score?
A: We have discussed this as an approach to also promote longevity of the system but no decisions have been made.

Q: Do the attributes include venue hire facilities?
A: No.

Q: Can park statistics be aggregated to correspond to the different park classifications used in the Perth Metropolitan region (i.e. Department of Sport and Recreation and Liveable Neighbourhoods).
A: Yes, our classification structure enables aggregation of POS statistics to both standards. Currently, this will have to be done by the user using the spreadsheets of POS information provided for download.

Q: Do you have information on how often POS flood?
A: No.

Q: Does the data cover the entire Perth Metropolitan region?
A: Yes, all of the Perth and Peel regions.

Additional Points:

·        Types of parks should be hyperlinked to their definitions.

·        Liveable Neighbourhoods use different walking distances for different parks – should use their distances approach and/or include several walk distances.

·        Include ‘Heat’ maps of quality score as well as park access.

·        Include usage information – this data is not available and is a research project in its own right.

·        Tool should align to Structural Planning Guidelines

·        Useful to be able to link other websites (LGA website) directly to parks in their region.

Summary of stakeholder comments concerning desired functions or additional data for inclusion in phase 2:

·        Loading own boundaries to calculate POS statistics is very useful – wide support.

o   Disagreement on whether a function needs to be provided for people to draw their own boundaries.

·        Calculating distance from a point location to a park would be useful from a passive transport perspective – the reverse is useful as well.

·        A planning ‘calculator’ which allows for the manipulation of park area and amenity in relation to population characteristics would be the most useful (magical).

o   Best to keep this simple and work well without getting too complicated.

·        Include Perth average for park statistics so LGAs can see where they are in relation to the broader region.

·        SLIP could be a viable solution to maintain longevity and data updates.  

Commnets on usefulness of the POS Tool:

“we just got the detail of all POS areas and % of each done, but that was $20-$30k - smaller LGAs would not be able to do this, so this will be a great resource for them and a tool to be able to help them proving up their parks, etc. - fantastic for the smaller local governments and those with $ pressure”

“excellent tools for strategic planning, qualifying the provisos etc. - this is exactly what they want”

“Coming up with performance measurements at DoP and annual reporting on the liveable neighbourhoods - that is what the DoP want to report on, so this is quite useful for them”

In conclusion, the group provided a very positive response to the POS Tool. Many of their suggestions for phase 2 provide confirmation to the POS team’s thoughts for more advanced functions. We would like to thank all the participants for thoughtful suggestions and comments, and kind words of encouragement.    

Stakeholder Workshops

On Monday, 22 October the Centre for the Built Environment and Health, and Gaia Resources hosted a targeted workshop with stakeholders interested in using the POS Tool for research purposes. The workshop’s aim was twofold: demonstrate the beta version of our web based POS Tool and discuss proposed functions to include in the second phase of software development. The workshop was held at the University of Western Australia and included researchers from the School of Population Health, The School of Earth and Environment, The School of Primary, Aboriginal and Rural Health Care, and The Planning and Transport Research Centre.

Participants were first provided with an overview of the project and POS data followed by a demonstration of the POS Tool (beta version) and examples of the proposed data interrogation and integration functions in the second phase of the Tool’s development. After the presentation, a Q and A session was followed by a broad discussion of researcher needs and desired functionality prompted by the examples mentioned above.

Current functions of the POS TOOL (phase 1) presented were:

1.    Search by address, park name and suburb

2.    Query of POS amenity for a park

3.    Statistics concerning the distribution of POS and POS amenity in each Suburb/LGA

4.    The ability to combine and download data concerning POS distribution and amenity, and population characteristics for each Suburb/LGA.    

Examples of advanced functions for phase 2:

1.   Calculating distances between user defined points and POS. User could upload a spreadsheet with Latitude and Longitude coordinates which would then be used to calculate the distance from each point to surrounding parks. Output information could then be exported for analysis.

2.   Calculate POS statistics for a user defined area. Users could upload their own polygon boundaries for which statistics on POS amenity and population characteristics would be calculated. Output information could then be exported for analysis.

3.   Calculate POS statistics for buffered points. User could upload a spreadsheet with Latitude and Longitude coordinates which would be buffered (user specified distance). Statistics on POS amenity and population characteristics would be calculated for each buffer as well as the distance from each buffered point to surrounding parks.

An overview of some of questions and answers are as follows:

Q: How does tool deal with POS that have mixed uses (i.e. a single POS area that has a park and natural areas)?
A: Currently, an area classified as a park adjacent to a natural area is stored and analysed as a separate entity. We felt that it was easier to aggregate than disaggregate. 

Q: How are population catchment statistics calculated?
A: We currently identify areas within a 5 minute walk of each park using a network buffer approach. Then, we intersect the buffer with the surrounding Census Collection Districts (CCD). The population of a CCD that intersects our 5 minute walk buffer is weighted by the percentage of the CCD’s area which falls within the buffer. We then sum the weighted population of all CCDs which intersect the 5 minute walk buffer.  

Q: Are there any provisions for updating the data currently in the system.
A: Not currently, but we do recognise this as an issue. We are focusing on getting the system build and hope that the user base will help influence how we address longevity. One possibility for data updates is through the State Land Information Capture Program (SLICP)

Q: Is horse riding facilities included in the attributes? This has actually been quite an issue in terms of the environmental management of POS on the urban fringe.
A: We do not currently collect information on the use of POS for horseback riding.

Q: Are beaches included?
A: Beaches themselves are not included but POS adjacent to a beach is included.

Q: Are hard-scapes included?
A: No, we have focused on green POS.

Summary of researcher comments concerning desired functions or additional data for inclusion in phase 2:

·        Importation of own polygon boundaries for which POS statistics are calculated

·        Catchment statistics should include age group

·        Ability to download outputs for linking with additional data

·        Selection by park attributes on main search page

·        Ability to add and remove parks and recalculate statistics

·        Attribution identifying when a park was developed

·        Quality score

·        Additional data layers: footpaths, bicycle networks, transport stops, transport routes, SEIFA scores

o   these might all be data people could bring to the system and get the system to return values in relation to parks

In conclusion, the group provided a very positive response to the POS Tool. Many of their suggestions for phase 2 provide confirmation to the POS team’s thoughts for more advanced functions. We would like to thank all the participants for thoughtful suggestions and comments, and kind words of encouragement.    

POS Team Meeting

On Wednesday, 3 October, Andrew Dennison, Akeal Hayek and Aaron Low of Gaia Resources were joined by Nick Middleton and Gus MacAulay members of McCaughey Centre’s (University of Melbourne) AURIN team, and Bryan Boruff, School of Earth and Environment (University of Western Australia) to discuss the longevity of the POSitive Places web interface. With close links between ANDS and AURIN, the group came together to discuss the use of the AURIN portal  as a means to provide a home for the POS Tool’s data and advanced functionality after the initial 2 year hosting period came to an end.

The meeting began with an overview of the POSitive Places ANDS project followed by a demonstration of the AURIN system highlighting several current projects. The meeting then focused on technical issues concerning how code developed for the POS Tool might be written so that advanced analytic functions could be ported to the AURIN system.

At a conceptual level however, a variety of options were discussed to maintain the longevity of the POS Tool after the initial ANDS project was complete. These include:

• Exposing the POS data to the AURIN system. As AURIN in not necessarily a data provider of sorts, this would require serving the data to AURIN from the Centre for Built Environment and Health, University of Western Australia or an alternate source.
• Port code developed for advanced POS Tools to the AURIN System (if not already available).
• Promote the POS ‘data structure’ so that it is adopted around the country expanding the scope of the project to other cities in Australia.
• Procure further funding to maintain the POS Tool in its current state.
• Adopt a participatory GIS approach crowd sourcing POS data from around the nation to promote community buy-in.

Whilst several options exist, it was communicated by those attending the meeting that the POS Tool was a valuable resource for researchers, planners and the public, and maintaining an accessible web presence that could be expanded to the national level would be advantageous to users as well as the longevity of the project.      

Thanks to those attending the meeting for your valuable insights.     



Key Factors Customers Will Use to Judge the Value of our Product

The POSivite places tool will have two main sections, the main searchable interface allowing users to examine the current distribution and access to POS and POS amenity for planning and health outcome analysis.  Demographic information will also be provided in the context of park accessibility (i.e. 5 minute walk, 10 minute walk, etc).


Phase 1:

We anticipate that this main interface will be useful to a variety of customers including the general public, local governments, planning professionals in a variety of environments (i.e. local, private and state offices), and health researchers interested in exploring the impact of POS and park access or amenity on health.

For all of these users the following points are important:

1. A clear, logical interface allowing a variety of starting points to conduct a search
2. The ability to explore and display information about POS and parks specifically
3. To summarise POS and park information by suburb, local government area (LGA) or region 
4. To understand our concept of 'park' and other POS definitions
5. To be able to use relevant POS information for research or general interest purposes

To achieve the first, second, and third points, the product needs to provide an intuitive user interface for searching POS, browsing the map, and summarising results.  Search results must be displayed in a clear and concise manner. To achieve the fourth and fifth points, the product needs to ensure that the data is available for download in a common user format, can be easily linked with other georeferenced information, and that adequate metadata is included. The metadata will need to provide origin of input data, details of methodology, and POS definitions.


Phase 2:

The second section of the POSivite Places tool will allow registered users to log in and perform more in depth analysis of POS, including the ability to load a user's own spatial data (i.e. GIS polygon layer representing a health study area) and gather POS summary information specific to their own user defined area.  In addition this portion of the tool will offer the ability to examine the impact of population change on the provision of POS and POS amenity through scenario testing.

For these users they will be need to be able to: 

1. Upload their own spatial data in an easy to understand process
2. Perform basic spatial summary (i.e. with own polygon) functions
3. Output results in a meaningful format for their own research or exploration purposes

Why a POS Tool?

To date, a comprehensive dataset of POS location and POS amenity does not exist across the Perth metropolitan region. The data that does exists is owned predominantly by LGAs (created on their own volition for use in-house) and therefore a consistent POS data set for the entire region is not available. This makes it extremely difficult to conduct regional comparisons of POS distribution or POS accessibility (for areas that span more than one LGA). Furthermore, our data exits as a GIS database, and not all users have access to, and/or the skills required to analysis this type of information. By providing a user friendly web based interface, interaction with our POS data is available to a greater range of potential users.        


Will it work?

We are confident that through feedback from a willing group of testers in both academia, and the public and private sectors we will collect valuable feedback concerning both the usability and functionality of the POS Tool. Whilst there is also potential for wide use by the public, no formal testing of this group will be undertaken.

Technologies and Features

Major Features

The user experience is driven via an interactive map, it is intended that the user will use the map search to locate an area of interest (either a specific address, a public open space or suburb/local government area region) and then interact with the data to learn more about parks and and their amenities in a specifc region.

The map interface has been designed similar to that of Google Maps offering an web GIS experience familiar to many users.

In addition users can download information for an individual public open space, or park summary data for a suburb or local government area for linkage with additional georeferenced data on within other anaylytics software packages.  

Architecture

Technology

The web server component uses Python and the Django/GeoDjango web framework with a PostgreSQL/PostGIS database. The front end is built using OpenLayers for the map display and JQuery and JQuery UI for the other interface elements.

• PostgreSQL v9.1.3: http://www.postgresql.org/
• PostGIS v1.5.3: http://postgis.refractions.net/
• Django v1.4.0: http://www.djangoproject.com
• GeoDjango: http://geodjango.org/
• Python 2.6: http://www.python.org/
• OpenLayers v2.1.2: http://openlayers.org/
• JQuery v1.7.2: http://jquery.com/
• JQuery UI v1.8.23: http://jqueryui.com/

Source

The project uses Jenkins for integration testing and the source will be hosted in a Google Code repository upon completion of the project.

Project Outputs and Our Primary Product

In general, the POS Tool provides access to integrated built-environment information not readily available for the region. The POS Tool will provide users with the ability to examine and interrogate POS and POS amenity data and derive POS-built environment measures based on two ABS political units - suburb and local government authority (LGA). In a planning context, the tool will allow for the geovisualization of the distribution of POS and POS amenity across the Perth metropolitan region but also allow for scenario testing of the impact of population growth on access to POS (and POS amenity). Users will be able to change the population of political units and recalculate POS and POS amenity measures to examine how growth will influence access to POS in a political unit. In a health context, the tool provides the ability to examine POS provision across the region and exported POS related information for LGAs and suburbs for linkage with other census or health outcome data.

It is expected that a Beta version of the POS Tool will be unveiled in late November at a workshop highlighting the uses for and, technical aspects of the tool.  

 

      

Who will benefit from the POS tool?

·     1. State and local planners and land developers

            There is growing recognition in government and in the urban planning sector of the role that the built form can play in community health and well being. The recent State of Australian Cities report for example, emphasised the importance of planning for livability and quality of life, and the need for city environments that encourage physically active lifestyles. Sectors and organisations involved in the planning and provision of urban infrastructure can benefit from the project through direct access to data and ability to interrogate information through a user friendly interface; and through access to research findings and translation of research utilising the POS TOOL.

          
2. Public Health, social sciences, geography and other researchers 

      Benefits to researchers in health 

Many of the factors that most influence health exist outside the sphere of the health sector, and there is growing evidence base substantiating the multiple ways in which the built environment (which includes availability and amenity of parks and open space) impacts on health. The type of data collected and used by health researchers typically focuses on health outcomes, behaviours or interventions, and objective measures of the physical environments in which people live are often difficult or cost prohibitive to access. 

Benefits to other research - The POS TOOL and POS data is relevant to research in a number of disciplines, including geography, urban planning, social policy, natural resource management and economics and regional development. Examples of application could include: exploring the economic benefits of POS and more specifically the relationship between house prices and presence/absence of POS and POS amenities.

      Other research groups could similarly utilise the POS TOOL to interrogate and export data into existing datasets to investigate their own research questions (for example the Cardiovascular Health research group at UWA could investigate the relationship between cardiovascular outcomes, physical activity and POS accessibility).

 

     
3. The community

The broader community stands to benefit in a number ways from the research and planning applications arising from the project. Benefits include:

i. better planning outcomes for community wellbeing, quality of life and recreation in terms of park/POS provision/quality and access. This has flow on benefits for both physical health (via physical activity, walking, sport, active play for children) and mental health (via access to nature, settings for relaxation and social interaction)

            
ii. greater transparency in terms of inequity or inadequate accessibility of POS for particular areas or population groups, and a tool for benchmarking improvements to address this

The general public will also benefit from a visual, interactive presentation of the POS in their area and surrounding regions.

What is the POS tool about?

Public open space (POS), including parks, confer a number of physical, psychological and social health benefits for individuals and the community. However there is a paucity of data on provision and spatial distribution of POS, and particularly adequate data to examine the provision and quality of POS by social disadvantage. This project aims to: 1) integrate heterogeneous data sets from POS data layers with other geo-referenced demographic data, 2) to develop a web based geospatial data analytic and visualisation tool to support two new opportunities:

 ·   In Research:  investigations into the provision, access, and quality of POS and contribute to research efforts to understand the direct and indirect health benefits afforded by POS

·   In Urban planning practice: enable better planning of the land allocation and positioning of POS, allocation of POS amenities relative to existing large and local scale services; and the modelling of future needs of POS according to forecasted and hypothetically modelled demographic changes.

The project will bring together and integrate multiple forms of data related to POS provision, amenity, location and infrastructure, providing the ability to analyse POS data with other geo-spatial built environment information as well as ABS population demographic data. The emphasis of this project is creating a user friendly interface for accessing and using data at various political units or levels of interest.

Why create a POS Tool?

Public open space (POS), including parks, confer a number of physical, psychological and social health benefits for individuals and the community. POS is an important setting for physical activity, which is beneficial to health in its own right, as well as contributing to prevention of overweight and obesity, improving mental health and reducing chronic disease. Parks can provide a local destination for people to walk to and be active in, and residents with very good access to attractive and large POS are 50% more likely to achieve high levels of walking (180 minutes walking/week) compared with residents without such access.

Given the benefits accruing from POS, there are a number of attributes of parks which directly impact individuals and communities. Reduction in these attributes are cause for public cconcern and include:

• Equity of access - growing income disparity in Australia and increasing urban development pose a threat to the availability and adequate provision of POS for a growing population.
• Quality - if accessible, quality can be problematic and a deterrent to use. 
• Safety - at the individual level, fears for personal safety can impinge on walking and perceived safety of public places including POS and at the community level, fear of crime and the costs of vandalism have seen a growing number of school ovals fenced off, reducing community access to POS. 
• Attractiveness - providing environmental benefits such as trees, air purification, and shade. POS also provides other necessary design functions, for instance, water catchment and storm water drainage.

In summary, POS makes important contributions to the health and well being of individuals and communities, as well as the quality and environmental sustainability of communities.  Given the lack of data on the specific relationships between the provision and distribution of POS and a range of health benefits, access to POS data is needed as well as research to assess those attributes that can benefit social and mental health of individuals and communities. By developing an open source, web based geospatial analytic tool we endeavour to enable researchers, planners and policy makers to access and utilise new data on POS, and provide capabilities to interrogate these data to answer key questions related to their fields of work.  

Project Team

Professor Fiona Bull, Project Manager, UWA

Professor Fiona Bull is recognised for her work on physical activity and public health and her contribution to research and practice in this field in Australia, the UK and internationally through her extensive international research collaborations and work with the World Health Organisation. Since 1997 Professor Bull’s work has focused on the development of methods and our understanding of the measurement and patterns of participation in physical activity in developed and developing countries. These interests underpin her work on the development and testing of population based approaches to influencing patterns of activity and improving health. Her work has focused mostly on adult populations but more recently has included several studies involving young people. Professor Bull also holds a fractional appoint at UWA and is also Professor of Physical Activity and Health at the School of Exercise and Sports Science, Loughborough University in the UK and co directs the BHF National Centre for Physical Activity and Health

Bryan Boruff, Technical Manager, UWA

Assistant Professor Bryan J Boruff received his PhD in Geography from the University of South Carolina (2005) focusing on the methodological development of risk and vulnerability assessments for environmental hazards. Whilst Bryan’s fundamental research focuses on environmental hazards, he has expertise in the application of Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing technologies to a range of environmental management issues ranging from environmental impact assessments, to renewable energies, to population health. Bryan has experience working in developing nations particularly in the Caribbean, Latin America and the South Pacific collaborating on projects funded by: the National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy, NASA, the National Science Foundation, the National Academy of Sciences, the Australian Department of Environment and Water Resources, the Centre for Research on Energy and Sustainable Transport and Healthway.

Bridget Beesley, GIS Business Analyst, UWA

Bridget is currently utilizing her GIS and spatial analysis skills to study the relationship between the built environment and health within the Centre for the Built Environment and Health (CBEH). As a Senior GIS Analyst she works on a variety research grants within a multi-disciplinary research team, as well as supporting graduate students with the spatially related research questions. She employs Network Analyst, Spatial Analyst and utilizes the ESRI suite of products for python script tool creation for automation of a variety of research outputs. Prior to commencing work a CBEH Bridget worked as a GIS Manager/Applications analyst at the South Carolina Department of Commerce, utilizing GIS in support of state wide economic development efforts. Bridget completed a Bachelor of Arts, Honours at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON Canada (2000), specializing in Geography (and GIS), and Development Studies (International Development). Following this she completed a Master of Science in Geography (2002) at the University of South Carolina, with a specialization in GIS modelling and spatial analysis, remote sensing theory and application, database management and Internet mapping applications.

Andrew Dennison, Technical Manager, Gaia Resources

Andrew has a background in geography and data management with considerable Geographical Information Systems experience. Andrew has worked in the spatial industry for over ten years on a range of technologies and has a particular interest in open source software. His previous roles include GIS Consultant, GIS Manager, Spatial Database Administrator and Account Manager. Andrew has worked in the public and private sectors in Australia and New Zealand.

Piers Higgs, GIS Business Analyst, Gaia Resources

Piers is the Director of Gaia Resources. His role in the business focuses on an oversight role for the company, although he remains involved in a range of projects. Piers has a background in environmental science and data management, including database development and considerable Geographical Information Systems experience. His previous roles included a role as an field ecologist and data manager for a biological sciences company, as well as a project manager for a multinational company. Piers has worked in the public and private sectors in Australia and South-East Asia.

Akeal Hayek, Software Developer, Gaia Resources

Akeal is involved in the GIS development, analysis, management, integration and storage of GIS data for Gaia Resources. Akeal is involved in developing custom spatial tools to automate time and process intensive GIS workflows. He has a previous background in engineering and cadastral surveying and has experience in the use of GPS and related field data collection systems. He is proficient in computer aided drafting and also in the use of all the major GIS software packages, in addition to many open-source products. Akeal enjoys developing software applications to assist in automating GIS workflows to produce results. He has considerable experience in the languages Python, Visual Basic.Net, and Java.

Ben Khoo, Software Developer, Gaia Resources

Ben is involved with the design and implementation of many of Gaia’s web and database driven applications. Ben has worked in the software development and information technology industry for over five years on a range of technologies from desktop software to multi tiered web application development. His past roles have included software engineering, systems engineering, and support. Ben has most recently worked in the defence simulation and training industry where he worked with the Australian Department of Defence and industry.

Mel McVee, Software Developer, Gaia Resources

Mel is a GIS generalist, specialising in cartography, modelling, analytical processing, scripting and data management. She also is involved in web production and maintenance, as well as GUI and document design. Mel has an extensive background in the oil and gas and environmental conservation industries. She is an avid GIS volunteer for non-for profit organisations, primarily assisting in marine conservation producing analytical work based on coral reef bleaching in several countries.