The Impact of the Built Environment on Human Behaviors

Amira Mersal Mahmoud (1)
(1) Higher Institute of Engineering and Technology, King Mariout, Egypt, Egypt

Abstract

This study discusses the issue of the relationship between the physical environment and the behavior of its inhabitants in the traditional cities (The Old City of Al-Quds). It analyses the effects that results from that particular physical environment on the different aspects of the lives of its people, as well as their interactive influence and change on the features of the environment within which they are living in order to adapt to their different needs in this rapidly changing era of technological revolution. This is to understand how does the old urban fabric - which was originally formed as reflection and translation to a past culture - emphasize utilizing the knowledge of human behavior while designing the built environments. It also discusses the role of architects in the psychological space design and formation of appropriate and inappropriate behavioral patterns by them. This study aims mainly to shed light on the housing in the old city of Al-Quds; in particular; which has shown continuous decline in its standards and requirements of living for the functional, social, educational psychological, and health aspects of the population. This is to determine the extent to which the influence between the population and the physical environment exists through the analysis of the specific architectural style of the housing environment, with its particular formation, elements and characteristics on the people's traditions, values, and social relations. The study leads to the conclusion that the existing situation of the residential environment, in old city, had lost much of its cultural values which forms the linking joint between the cultural and social identity of the inhabitants and the architectural style of the physical fabric of housing. It also concludes that the reality of its existing situation has a negative impact on residents' characteristics and on their different life issues, while sometimes keeping part of the original features. The study recommends that upgrading the housing use within the old city in Al-Quds is one of the most important factors; not only to save the old city alive, but also to revive the cultural values associated with our cultural heritage and national identity which could be achieved by applying various programs among people to support them, promote their living conditions, raise their awareness , and strengthen their national affiliation which will also lead to arresting the decline in the historic monuments which are closely linked not only to the people own civilization but also to their historic rights in this land.

Full text article

Generated from XML file

References

Lang, J., 1987, Creating architectural theory: The role of the behavioral sciences in environmental design, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York.

Dent, L., 1998, A postmodern glance at some recent trends in environment and behavior Research Studies, Environment – Behavior Research in Pacific Rim, proc. of PaPER’ 98, the 11th International Conference on People and Physical Environmental Research. University of Sydney Publishers, Sydney, pp17-24.

Churchman, A., 2002, Environmental psychology and urban planning: Where can the twain meet? In R.B. Bechtel, and A. Churchman, (Eds.) Handbook of environmental psychology, John Wiley and Sons, Inc, New York, pp191-202.

Tala. 2008, Building as care, Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. p. 42.

Cassidy, T., 1997, Environmental psychology: Behavior and experience in context, Psychology Press, Hove, East Sussex.

Gifford, R., 2002, Environmental psychology: principles and practice, Optimal Books Publishers, Canada, .

Bonnes, M. and Secchiaroli, G., 1995, Environmental psychology: a psycho-social introduction (C. Montagna, Trans.), Sage Publications, London; Thousand Oaks, 1995.

Jahanian, p., motalebi, GH. Effect of personal-environmental factors on people satisfaction from Residential region. International conference on architecture, civil engineering and sustainable development, 2013. p. 74.

Ittelson,w.et 1974 “An Introduction to Environmental psychology”-Holt,Reinhart.

Najwa Sharif -1991 "The Role of Architecture in the Process of Cultural Development" - The Second International Scientific Conference of the Faculty of Engineering University of Al-Azhar -

Selwyn, N., 2004, The information aged: A qualitative study of older adults’ use of information and communications technology, Journal of Aging Studies, 18, pp369–384.

Fozard, J.L., et al, 2000, Gerontechnology: creating enabling environments for the challenges and opportunities of aging, Educational Gerontology, 26, pp331–344.

NEWMAN, O. 1972, Defensible space: Crime prevention through urban design, Collier Books, New York, USA,.

GIFFORD, R., 1997 Environmental Psychology: principles and practice. 2 ed. Allyn and Bacon, Boston, USA,.

Motalebi, GH. 2003, Environmental Psychology, a new knowledge for architecture and urban design. Journal of fine arts. University of Tehran publication. No .10,. p. 65

Deasy, M.C., 1974, Design for human affairs, Schenkman Publishers, Cambridge, 1974..

Motalebi, GH. 2005, Fundamentals of Architectural Topics, Functions of Architecture, Recognition of form and function proportion in architecture. p. 93.

Altayash, Khalid: Some neighborhoods lack social cohesion and others cultivate an affinity between8. Al-Qa'eda 1429. - Static. Al-riyadh newspaper . No. 14745

Kanani, Star: Social life in the city and the feasibility of urban remedies. Newspaper.Baghdad

Hakeel, Abdul Hakim, 2009, experience the urban style developed in the Arab-Islamic urban environment , Urban Social Study of the Realities of New Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia.

Lang, J "Fundamental Processes of Environmental |Behavior "- In John Lang,et al.(Eds), Designing for human behavior: Architecture and the behavioral sciences. Stoudsbury: Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross,Inc- 1974

Hassan Fathy 2001. "Architecture of the Poor" Egyptian Book Authority .

Rapoport ,A-1982, "The meaning of the built environment"- California: Sage publications, Inc-

Stallions, struggle. 2007. Formation of urban fabric for new residential neighborhoods, housing seminar Third; Riyadh

Halibi, Khalid, 2009, initially contribute to homeland security, Family Development Center, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Zaanoun, Faisal. 2007. The social aspects of the Old City, the City Centers Symposium;April 30-29, 2009; Nablus, Palestine

Authors

Amira Mersal Mahmoud
[email protected] (Primary Contact)
Mahmoud, A. M. (2018). The Impact of the Built Environment on Human Behaviors. Environmental Science & Sustainable Development, 2(2), 29–41. https://doi.org/10.21625/essd.v2i2.157

Article Details

Received 2017-11-18
Accepted 2018-01-23
Published 2018-01-31