The Toolkit for the Ethnographic Study of Space

Authors: Setha Low, Troy Simpson, and Suzanne Scheld

The Toolkit for the Ethnographic Study of Space (TESS) is an in-depth method for studying the everyday life of a particular public space. It is a qualitative method that helps you understand the meaning and context of what you learn. Ethnography, a cultural description of a place, is a way to uncover the cultural rules, beliefs, feelings, and practices that make up public life. It complements quantitative survey and demographic methods by adding people’s experience of place.
Most importantly, a TESS study is a way to uncover the causes and dynamics of social exclusion, lack of diversity, and inequality in the use and access of a space so you can work toward creating a socially just space for all community groups and members.

Download the toolkit on the website of the Public Space Research Group.

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