Integrating Virtual Walkthroughs for Subjective Urban Evaluations: A Case Study of Neighbourhoods in Sheffield, England

Sneha Roychowdhury (), Suvodeep Mazumdar, Dhavalkumar Thakker, Alessandro Checco, Vitaveska Lanfranchi and Barry Goodchild
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Sneha Roychowdhury: Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Suvodeep Mazumdar: Information School, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Dhavalkumar Thakker: School of Computer Science, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
Alessandro Checco: Computer Science Department, University of Rome La Sapienza, 00185 Rome, Italy
Vitaveska Lanfranchi: Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
Barry Goodchild: Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield S1 1WB, UK

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 6, 1-32

Abstract: This study explores the correlation between residents’ subjective assessments of urban neighbourhoods, obtained through virtual walkthroughs, and objective measures of deprivation. Our study was set within a specific city in the United Kingdom, with neighbourhoods selected based on Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). We invited residents in the UK through Prolific, a crowdsourcing platform. Employing complete case analysis, TF-IDF keyword extraction, the Kruskal–Wallis test, and Spearman’s rank-order correlation, our study examines the alignment between subjective assessments and existing deprivation measures (IMD). The results reveal a nuanced relationship, suggesting potential subjective biases influencing residents’ perceptions. Despite these complexities, the study highlights the value of virtual walkthroughs in offering a holistic overview of neighbourhoods. While acknowledging the limitations posed by subjective biases, we argue that virtual walkthroughs provide insights into residents’ experiences that potentially complement traditional objective measures of deprivation. By capturing the intricacies of residents’ perceptions, virtual walkthroughs contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of neighbourhood deprivation. This research informs future endeavours to integrate subjective assessments with objective measures for robust neighbourhood evaluations.

Keywords: virtual walkthroughs; Index of Multiple Deprivation; citizen perception; built environment; subjective assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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