The Toolkit for the Ethnographic Study of Space (TESS)
is an in-depth method for studying the everyday life
of a particular public space. It is a qualitative method
that helps you understand the meaning and context of
what you learn. Ethnography, a cultural description of
a place, is a way to uncover the cultural rules, beliefs,
feelings, and practices that make up public life. It
complements quantitative survey and demographic
methods by adding people’s experience of place.
Most importantly, a TESS study is a way to uncover
the causes and dynamics of social exclusion, lack of
diversity, and inequality in the use and access of a
space so you can work toward creating a socially just
space for all community groups and members.