Gathering resident insights on lifestyle access points
Qualitative field research was conducted into how residents experience lifestyle access points in Naarden and Bussum. The outcome was a practical research report with recommendations on accessibility, visibility and communication.
Sector
Local government
Approach
Fieldwork and interviews
Deliverable
Research report
Gemeente Gooise Meren promotes health and active living through several lifestyle access points across the municipality. These locations are meant to help residents with information, activities and advice around movement and wellbeing, but in practice the reach was uneven.
Older residents were finding the locations more easily, while younger or less active groups were using them far less. That raised a more fundamental question: how are these access points experienced, and what is stopping potential users from engaging with them?
The challenge
The municipality needed insight that could not be pulled from dashboards or surveys alone. It required on-location conversations with both existing visitors and passers-by who were not yet familiar with the access points, while keeping the research scope focused and workable.
Blackbear's role
Blackbear helped define the assignment with clear boundaries upfront. The work was limited to qualitative field research at two selected library locations, without expanding into broader digital surveys, other sites or implementation. That made it possible to keep the project focused on direct resident input and a clear research output. A specialist with fieldwork and market research experience was then connected to the assignment, with the interview guide aligned in advance to the municipality’s questions.
Result
The research resulted in a report based on conversations with both current users and residents who had not yet engaged with the access points. It gave the municipality concrete recommendations on barriers, visibility, opening hours and communication, creating a stronger basis for future decisions.
