GSV offers some benefits over traditional built environment audits. The extent of continuity for a set of images collected with the same date stamp ranged from 3.13 m to 3373.06 m, though the majority of continuous segments were less than 400 m. The remainder occurs inconsistently in other locations. Of the 353 disruptions, 82.4% occur close to (<25 m) intersections. Spatio-temporal instability is present in the dates of GSV imagery. Spatial query and descriptive statistics were applied to understand the spatio-temporal patterns of imagery dates. Every street segment in the site was coded by the date the imagery for that segment was collected. Every time the date stamp changed, this “disruption” was marked on the map. Each street in the sites was “driven” one mouse-click at a time while observing the date stamp on each image.

GSV was used to virtually “drive” five sites that are a part of the authors’ ongoing studies. Furthermore, how much continuity exists in imagery for a particular time period? Answering these questions will provide guidance on the use of GSV as a tool for built environment audits. Specifically, is the imagery collected contemporaneously? If not, how frequently and where is imagery from different time periods woven together to represent environmental conditions in a particular place. This study questions the spatio-temporal stability in the GSV date stamp. In 2011, Google began placing a date stamp on images which now enables investigation of this concern. However, one limitation has been the lack of documentation on the date of imagery collection. Studies have found it offers benefits over in-person audits, including efficiency, safety, cost, and the potential to expand built environment research to larger areas and more places globally. Recently, Google Street View (GSV) has been examined as a tool for remotely conducting systematic observation of the built environment.

Google earth 2010 street view download