iEnvironment

Where environment meets psychology.
by Lindsay J. McCunn

Understanding Accessible Housing Design from the User’s Perspective

I thought that, while I’m on the topic of social design (see post 2 and post 3), I would make reference to an accessible subsidized housing research project I completed last year. Read More

The Status of Social Design in Environmental Psychology: Part II

It has been a month since my post about the apparent absence of social design from academic literature. Since writing last, I have noticed several opportunities for social design: In my local coffee shop; at my office at school; the assisted living facility my aunt recently moved into. Read More

The Status of Social Design in Environmental Psychology: Part I

Imagine a dense cluster of residential towers in the heart of an American city. Lauded by designers for their affordability, form, and function to society, an architectural publication calls them "the best high apartment of the year." These were St. Louis' Pruitt-Igoe buildings. Soon they were plagued by crime, disfigured by vandalism, and doomed by occupant dissatisfaction. Read More

Tragic-Choice Theory: The Sad Side of Sustainability

Do you know someone who is convinced that nothing he or she can do about a situation will change the outcome? Maybe it's about diet, a relationship, or a job. My friend Mark is this type of person. Certain there is nothing he can do about environmental decline, Mark does not recycle unless it is convenient. He doesn't carry a reusable travel mug. Read More

Lindsay J. McCunn

Lindsay J. McCunn is a Ph.D. student in environmental psychology at the University of Victoria in British Columbia.

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