Using Google Earth to Study Children's Neighborhoods

An Application in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

This paper describes a methodology developed for gathering reliable and valid data about urban children’s use of their neighborhood. The study was conducted with children aged 9 to 14 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Children mapped their neighborhoods with online satellite images and discussed their maps with researchers during structured interviews based on Growing Up In Cities questionnaires. Children’s maps were then verified through child-led neighborhood field trips. The method was attractive to children and ensured their active participation. Information gathered using this method is easy to express visually, to analyze, and to apply to childrenneighborhood investigations. The findings presented here are part of a larger study focused on developing cost-effective research methods appropriate to the developing-country context with implications for built-environment policy and practice.