The term windshield survey describes the process of observing a community by driving a car or riding public transportation through that community. Windshield surveys enable the observation of such things as housing quality, recreation facilities, the movement of people throughout the area at varying times of the day, areas of congregation in the streets, and the atmosphere of different areas of town (Shuster & Goeppinger, 1996). All such observations contribute to understanding the area and what it is like to live there.