Eastern Point Beach Observation Paper

Words: 513
Pages: 3

A successful public space consists of various factors that combine to form a rhythm. In 1970, William H. Whyte initiated “The Street Life Project” to examine which factors had the greatest effects on the utilization of public space (Whyte, 1980:10). The results demonstrated that sittable space, food, water, trees, and triangulation had the most influence on an individual’s decision. On Sunday, June 4th, I visited Eastern Point Beach in Groton, CT to observe the rhythm of social life in my community. I performed my observation from two to five in the afternoon (peak time) on a bright sunny (76℉) day. A change in temperature or date would alter the observations because more people would spend their day outdoors. Sittable space, food, and triangulation …show more content…
However, I did not observe the athletic areas of Eastern Point Beach because of a time constraint. I began my observation at Eastern Point Beach by observing the types of sittable space in each of the four areas of the beach. While walking along the beach, the sand seeped through my toes, and I stopped for a few moments to observe the unique sea shells along the seashore. I then turned my attention towards the many individuals that occupied the beach by lying on beach towels or by sitting in beach chairs. The Town of Groton does not provide rentable equipment, such as chairs or umbrellas, so individuals must bring their own. However, beach chairs provide convenient seating because individuals can fold up the chair(s) and move it to a location that better suits their needs. Next, I observed the sittable space in the park. The sittable space at the park consists of stationary benches, swinging benches, and rocks. During my observation, the stationary benches attracted the least amount of attention. This decrease in popularity might be due to “concrete permanence” and the inability of an individual to move the chair to their desired location (Whyte, 1980: 34). The swinging benches appeared