Easing Brain FatiguE WhilE studying

gis Final ProjEct

location: goldEn gatE Park, arguEllo-8th avEnuE

cindy arcE-Bazan

ProjEct dEscriPtion and contExt

thErE havE BEEn countlEss amounts oF studiEs donE rEcEntly shoWing that currEnt day mEmBErs oF sociEty intEract With naturE Far lEss than PEoPlE 50+ yEars Back. this is duE to

sEvEral Factors, such as a rEduction oF oPEn land attriButEd to ovErPoPulation as WEll as ovEr-usE, thE ExPansion oF citiEs through thE Facilitation oF vEhiclEs, city Planning that is

inconsidEratE oF oPEn sPacEs, and thE Frantic, Busy livEs WE havE noWadays.

in addition to thEsE studiEs that sPEak aBout thE dEcrEasE in human-naturE intEraction, thErE havE also BEEn studiEs that shoW mEntal EasE can BE attainEd through incrEasing thE amount oF

timE onE sPEnds outdoors. many timEs thE solution to transiEnt ProBlEms likE ovEr-strEssing, or sEmi-PErmanEnt conditions likE dEPrEssion, anxiEty, and BiPolar disordEr, can BE as simPlE as

Providing onEsElF With morE timE givEn to doing activitiEs outsidE and in naturE.

With sPEcial rEgards to rEading or studying, thE outdoors can ProvidE a rElaxing EnvironmEnt that is aWay From hEctic city liFE. this can imProvE concEntration WhilE calming

thE mind. i chosE 18 locations Within thE Park BasEd on Factors likE timE, noisE, light, tyPEs oF sEating, amount oF sEating, tyPE oF accEss, ExPosurE, and WEathEr suitaBility.

BasE maP

this BasE maP EncomPassEs mostly modEs oF transPortation, including BikE, transit and vEhicular routEs, as WEll as Bus stoPs. WhEn trying to makE thE Park an aPPEaling study location, thE numBEr

onE asPEct to Worry aBout is mEthods oF transPortation-- hoW do you gEt to

thE Park?

i also chosE to Focus on thE East Portion oF thE Park duE to its

Proximity to usF.

KEY

Bus stoPs

Parking

Bus routEs

vEhicular routEs

Park

noisE maP

this maP FocusEs on noisE lEvEls Within thE Park. By using thE sound dEciBEl

mEtEr aPP callEd soundmEtEr, a morE accuratE noisE data collEction Was

accomPlishEd. in addition, i had tWo timE FramEs For data collEction:

morning and aFtErnoon.

61.900 - 63.600 63.600 - 67.300 67.300 - 70.500 70.500 - 76.200 76.200 - 89.000

KEY

61.900 - 63.600 63.600 - 67.300 67.300 - 70.500 70.500 - 76.200 76.200 - 89.000

morning noisE aFtErnoon noisE

Bus stoPs

Parking

Bus routEs

vEhicular routEs

Park

BikE routEs

lEast noisy study locations

1.

2.

3.

location: nEar nancy PElosi dr. + caliFornia acadEmy oF sciEncEs morning noisE: 63.600

aFtErnoon noisE: 64.300

location: nEar BoWling grEEn dr. + nancy PElosi dr.morning noisE: 61.900

aFtErnoon noisE: 67.600

1 2 3

WhEn it comEs doWn to dEtErmining thE BEst study sPots Within thE Park, my BiasEd oPinion intErcEPts and thE main Factor i Focus on is hoW loud a sPacE is. this Bias mostly aPPliEs to suBjEcts

nEEding intEnsE concEntration, likE rEading or mEmorizing inFormation For a tEst, though i do tEnd to Enjoy quiEtEr sPacEs ovErall. thE locations i chosE WErE arEas that ProvEd to BE quiEtEr than

othErs, as WEll as shoWEd littlE changE BEtWEEn morning and aFtErnoon data rEcordings.

location: nEar consErvatory dr. East + arguEllo Blvd. morning noisE: 62.900

aFtErnoon noisE: 63.000

Golden Gate Park- San Francisco, CA

light maP

thE amount oF light From Park study sPacEs is sEEn BEloW. i oBtainEd this data From collEcting thE PErcEntagE oF light Within a 10 Ft. radius. just likE thE maP

on noisE, this maP also includEs data From Both morning and aFtErnoon.

KEY

morning light aFtErnoon light

10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 % 80 % 100 %

10 %

20 % 30 %

50 % 60 %

80 % 100 %

Bus stoPs

Parking

Bus routEs

vEhicular routEs

Park

BikE routEs

BEst light in thE Park

location: nEar consErvatory dr. East + arguEllo Blvd.

morning light: 50% aFtErnoon light: 50%

location: nEar consErvatory dr. East + thE sundial clock

morning light: 60% aFtErnoon light: 40%

location: nEar consErvatory dr. WEst + thE consErvatory oF FloWErs

morning light: 60%aFtErnoon light: 80%

dEtErmining thE locations With BEst light rEsultEd From studying in arEas With Both 10 and 100% lighting. From my ExPEriEncE, i dEcidEd that thE BEst ovErall lighting Was

BEtWEEn 40-60%. hoWEvEr, just likE thE noisE data, considEring a location that doEsn’t FluctuatE as much could BE a valid rEason to choosE a cErtain location ovEr othErs. this

mattErs EsPEcially iF you’rE Planning on studying in a location For longEr hours.

1

3

2

amount oF sEating

this maP shoWs sEating amounts Within study sPacEs. i chosE to

incorPoratE this data to ProvidE thE altErnativE to solo studying By

ExEmPliFying sPacEs that alloW For morE than onE PErson.

KEY

Bus stoPs

Parking

Bus routEs

vEhicular routEs

Park

BikE routEs

quadruPlE, largE Party

largE Party

quadruPlE

triPlE, largE Party

triPlE

douBlE, largE Party

douBlE, triPlE

douBlE

singlE, douBlE

4+

4+

4+

43+3+

3

3

3

2+

2+ 2+2-3

22

2

>6

>6

1-2

idEal singlE + largE Party sEating

1

1

2

2

location: nEar consErvatory dr. East + Fuschia dEll sEating: 1-2 PEoPlE (PrivatE)

location: john F. kEnnEdy dr. + 8th avE. sEating: morE than 6 PEoPlE (PuBlic)

location: nEar sharon mEadoW + hiPPiE hill

sEating: morE than 6 PEoPlE (PuBlic)

location: nEar consErvatory dr. East + arguEllo Blvd. sEating: uP to 2 PEoPlE comFortaBly (PrivatE)

Site Plan- San Francisco, CA

WEathEr suitaBility

thE Focus oF this maP is WEathEr suitaBility, Which cEntErs on

distinguishing study arEas that arE only suitaBlE For sunny days, vErsus morE

vErsatilE study arEas suitaBlE For Windy or rainy days as WEll. this inFormation

is also BasEd on additional data that did not makE it to any Particular maP.

that data includEs sEating and ExPosurE.

KEY

Bus stoPs

Parking

Bus routEs

vEhicular routEs

Park

BikE routEs

sunny, Windy and rainy days

sunny and Windy days

sunny days only

most WEathEr-FlExiBlE sPacEs

1.

2.

3.

location: nEar consErvatory dr. WEst + john F. kEnnEdy dr. tyPE oF sEating: BEnch, grass, soil

ExPosurE: trEE covEr

location: nEar consErvatory dr. East + arguEllo Blvd. tyPE oF sEating: trEE, lEavEs, soil

ExPosurE: Partial trEE covEr

1 2 3

thE last (But ProBaBly thE most) imPortant variaBlE to considEr, EsPEcially WhEn BEing outdoors, is thE WEathEr suitaBility oF a cErtain location. this is EsPEcially truE WhEn it comEs doWn to studying, Which

involvEs using PaPErs, Books, and laPtoPs Which can all gEt Easily damagEd By thE ElEmEnts. thE locations i chosE as BEing thE most suitaBlE For sunny, Windy, and rainy days WErE arEas that had

FirmEr sEating oPtions (BEnch, trEE, stonE vs. grass or lEavEs) and WErE lEss ExPosEd to thE ElEmEnts (had mostly Full trEE covEragE).

location: nEar nancy PElosi dr. + caliFornia acadEmy oF sciEncEs tyPE oF sEating: trEE, soil

ExPosurE: trEE covEr

By Engaging in a ProjEct WhErE WE WErE not only dEsigning maPs But also

crEating our oWn data, i FEEl likE i gainEd a mostly WEll-roundEd undErstanding oF

What gis Entails and thE comPlEx rElationshiP that maPs and data havE.

With rEgards to my sPEciFic ProjEct, thE maPs and data ProvE that studying in thE

Park is morE than PossiBlE. i BEliEvE this inFormation Would actually BE usEFul For

usF (or studEnts in gEnEral). this is Particular to thE Park itsElF sincE Finding

idEal PlacEs to study can sEEm imPossiBlE With its undulating Paths and hiddEn crEvicEs, or With PlacEs that arE

too PuBlic and disruPtivE to study in.

conclusion