The database can be accessed through the Google Maps app by clicking the following link from a mobile device, provided the Google Maps app is installed. Once the database has been accessed through the Google Maps app the first time, open the Google Maps app, click the “Saved” tab at the bottom, then click “Maps” near the middle of the screen, and finally click “Database of Motor and Sensory Affordances of Parks and Playgrounds” to access the database subsequent times. When accessing through the Google Maps app, the database currently has two main uses: 1) view parks and playgrounds categorized by affordance area rating and 2) confirm absence of a specific affordance.
To view parks and playground categorized by affordance area rating…
- Open the database and locate the map legend by clicking “View map legend” at the bottom of the screen. The map legend lists the ten different subdomains and domains that comprise the assessment tool.
- Click the box next to the subdomain or domain of interest and the map will display how all the parks and playgrounds within the database are rated for that subdomain or domain using the following color scheme: black represents none, brown represents poor, green represents fair, blue represents good, and purple represents excellent.
- In order to view the map again, do not click “CLOSE” and instead click the left arrow in the upper left corner of the screen twice until you return to the “Saved” tab of the Google Maps app and then click the “Explore” tab.
- To learn more about each subdomain and domain, click here. Although multiple subdomains or domains can be selected simultaneously from the map legend, it’s best to select and view ratings for only one subdomain or domain at a time.
To confirm absence of a specific affordance…
- Explore the subdomain pages to identify which subdomain the affordance belongs to.
- Open the database and locate the map legend by clicking “View map legend” at the bottom of the screen.
- Click the box next to the subdomain the specific affordance belongs to and the map will display how all the parks and playgrounds within the database are rated for that subdomain.
- In order to view the map again, do not click “CLOSE” and instead click the left arrow in the upper left corner of the screen twice until you return to the “Saved” tab of the Google Maps app and then click the “Explore” tab.
- Click any of the map location markers and then “More info” at the bottom of the screen to view more information about that park or playground. The description section lists the date the park or playground was assessed, the numerical score of the subdomain or domain, and the affordances that belong to that subdomain that are present at the park or playground. Below that, the descriptive term ratings of all ten subdomains and domains are listed and you can get directions through Google Maps.
- If the specific affordance is not listed in the description section, it is not present at that park or playground.
For example, sand is an affordance within the touch subdomain that you might prefer be absent from the park or playground. To confirm absence of sand, click the box next to the touch subdomain from the map legend. Then, click any of the map location markers and confirm, within the description section, the affordances that belong to the touch subdomain that are present at the park or playground. If “sand playground surface”, “sandbox”, and “other sand” are not listed, then sand is absent at that park or playground. Although multiple subdomains or domains can be selected simultaneously from the map legend, it’s best to select and view ratings for only one subdomain or domain at a time.