Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

New Developments in Aesthetics for Urban Design

  • Chapter
Toward the Integration of Theory, Methods, Research, and Utilization

Part of the book series: Advances in Environment, Behavior and Design ((AEBD,volume 4))

Abstract

Imagine walking through an unfamiliar city. As you proceed, the surroundings change from what you see in Figure 1 to what you see in Figure 2. You might evaluate the change as unpleasant, feel less safe, and change your behavior, walking faster or leaving the area. In contrast, had you passed by the scene in Figure 3, you might evaluate it favorably, feel a calming change in emotion, and you might slow down or enter the area to savor the experience. In each case, environmental cues, which you may not have noticed, affected your appraisal of the scene, emotions, inferences, and behavior. This chapter is predicated on the conviction that the visual character of buildings has important impacts on human experience—aesthetic impacts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Altman, I. (1981). Reflections on environmental psychology. Human Environments, 2, 5–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Appleyard, D. (1981). Livable streets. Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Appleyard, D. (1982). Three kinds of urban design practice. In A. Ferebee (Ed.), Education for urban design (pp. 122–126 ). Purchase, NY: Institute for Urban Design.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berlyne, D. E. (1971). Aesthetics and psychobiology. New York: Meredith.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blake, P. (1974). Form follows fiasco. Boston: Atlantic Monthly Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, S. (undated). Index to information on individual architects in a select list of books (Vance Bibliographies, Architecture Series, A 132).

    Google Scholar 

  • Canter, D. (1969). An intergroup comparison of connotative dimensions in architecture. Environment and Behavior, 1, 37–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, J. C. (1985). Recent assessments of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 356–365.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Carp, F. M., Zawadski, R. T., and Shokron, H. (1976). Dimensions of urban environmental quality. Environment and Behavior, 8, 239–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carson, R. (1989). Personality. Annual Review of Psychology, 26, 393–414.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chenoweth, R. E., and Gobster, P. H. (1990). The nature and ecology of aesthetic experiences in the landscape. Landscape Journal, 9, 1–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cherulnik, P. D. (1991). Reading restaurant facades: Environmental inference in finding the right place to eat. Environment and Behavior, 22, 150–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA). (1972). 1451 (CZMA 302). Congressional hearings, and 1452 (CZMA 303) Congressional declaration of policy. Public Law 89–454 Title III, 302 and 303, as added Public Law 92–583.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, C. (1972). Resident dissatisfaction in multifamily housing. In W. M. Smith (Ed.), Behavior, design and policy aspects of human habitats (pp. 119–146 ). Green Bay: University of Wisconsin Green Bay Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, C. (1974). The house as a symbol of self. In J. Lang, C. Burnette, W. Moleski, and D. Vachon (Eds.), Designing for human behavior architecture and the behavioral sciences (pp. 130146 ). Stroudsburg, PA: Dowden, Hutchinson, and Ross.

    Google Scholar 

  • Craik, K. H. (1983). The psychology of the large scale environment. In N. R. Feimer and E. S. Geller (Eds.), Environmental psychology: Directions and perspectives (pp. 67–105 ). New York: Praeger.

    Google Scholar 

  • Devlin, K., and Nasar, J. (1989). The beauty and the beast: Some preliminary comparisons of “high” versus “popular” residential architecture and public versus architect judgments of same. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 9, 333–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dingham, T. M. (1989). Five robust trait dimensions: Development, stability and utility. Journal of Personality, 57, 195–214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Espe, H. (1981). Differences in perception of national socialist and classicist architecture. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 1, 33–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fechner, G. T. (1876). Vorschule der Asthetik. Leipzig, Germany: Breitopf and Hartel.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feimer, N. (1984). Environmental perception: The effect of media evaluative context and the observer sample. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 4, 61–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, B., and Nasar, J. L. (1992). Fear of crime in relation to the three exterior site features: Prospect, refuge and escape. Environment and Behavior, 24, 35–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gans, H. (1974). Popular culture and high culture: An analysis and evaluation of taste. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardner, H. (1982). Art, mind and brain: A cognitive approach to creativity. New York: Basic Books. Gaver, W. W., and Mandler, G. (1987). Play it again Sam. Cognition and Emotion, 1, 259–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, J. (1979). The ecological approach to visual perception. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gifford, R. (1980). Environmental dispositions and the evaluation of architectural interiors. Journal of Research in Personality, 14, 386–399.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groat, L. (1982). Meaning in post-modern architecture: An examination using the multiple sorting task. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2, 3–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groat, L. (1984, November). Public opinions of contextual fit. Architecture, pp. 72–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Groat, L. N., and DesprĂ©s, C. (1991). The significance of architectural theory for environmental design research. In E. H. Zube and G. T. Moore (Eds.), Advances in environment, behavior, and design (Vol. 3, pp. 3–53 ). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutman, R. (1983). Architects in the home-building industry. In J. R. Blau, M. E. LaGory, and J. S. Pipkin (Eds.), Professionals and urban form (pp. 208–223 ). Albany: State University of New York Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hartig, T., Mang, M., and Evans, G. W. (1991). Restorative effects of natural environment experiences. Environment and Behavior, 23, 3–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heise, D. R. (1970). The semantic differential and attitude research. In G. F. Summers (Ed.), Attitude measurement (pp. 235–253 ). Chicago: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hershberger, R. G. (1969). A study of meaning and architecture. In H. Sanoff and S. Cohn (Eds.), EDRA 1: Proceedings of the First Annual Environmental Design Research Association Conference (pp. 86–100 ). Raleigh: North Carolina State University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hershberger, R. G., and Cass, R. C. (1974). Predicting user responses to buildings. In G. Davis (Ed.), Man environment interaction: Evaluations and applications, the state of art in environmental design research field applications (pp. 117–134 ). Milwaukee: Environmental Design Research Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herzog, T. R., Kaplan, S., and Kaplan, R. (1976). The prediction of preference for familiar urban places. Environment and Behavior, 8, 627–645.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herzog, T., Kaplan, S., and Kaplan, R. (1982). The prediction of preference for unfamiliar urban places. Population and Environment, 5, 43–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herzog, T., and Smith, G. A. (1988). Danger, mystery, and environmental preference. Environment and Behavior, 20, 320–344.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hesselgren, S. (1975). Man’s perception of man-made environment. Stroudsburg, PA: Dowden, Hutchinson, and Ross.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horayangkura, V. (1978). Semantic dimensional structures: A methodological approach. Environment and Behavior, 10, 555–584.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Im, S.-B. (1984). Visual preferences in enclosed urban spaces: An exploration of a scientific approach to environmental design. Environment and Behavior, 16, 235–262.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Izard, C. E. (1977). Human emotions. New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kang, J. (1990). Symbolic inferences and typicality in five taste cultures. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, R., and Kaplan, S. (1989). The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, S., Kaplan, R., and Wendt, J. S. (1972). Rated preference and complexity for natural and urban visual material. Perception and Psychophysics, 12, 354–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kasmar, J. V., Griffin, W. V., and Mauritzen, J. H. (1968). Effects of environmental surroundings on outpatients’ mood and perception of psychiatrists. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 32, 223–226.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Krampen, M. (1989). Semiotics in architecture and industrial product design. Design Issues, 5, 124–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

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

    Google Scholar 

  • Lansing, J. B., Marans, R. W., and Zehner, R. B. (1970). Planned residential environments. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, Institute for Social Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lanyon, R. I. (1984). Personality assessment. Annual Review of Psychology, 35, 667–701. Lawrence, R. (1986). L’espace domestique et la regulation de la vie quotidienne. Recherches Sociologiques, 7, 147–169.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S. (1984). On the primacy of cognition. American Psychologist, 39, 124–129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leff, H. L., Gordon, L. R., and Ferguson, J. G. (1974). Cognitive set and environmental awareness. Environment and Behavior, 6, 395–447.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lynch, K. E., and Rivkin, M. (1959). A walk around the block. Landscape,8, 24–34. Lynes, R. (1954). The taste-makers. New York: Harper and Brothers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandler, J. M. (1984). Stories, scripts, and scenes: Aspects of schema theory. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Marans, R. W. (1976). Perceived quality of residential environments: Some methodological issues. In K. H. Craik and E. H. Zube (Eds.), Perceiving environmental quality: Research and applications (pp. 123–147 ). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martindale, C. (1990). The clockwork muse: The predictability of artistic change. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCrae, R. R., and Costa, P. T., Jr. (1989). Reinterpretation of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator from the perspective of the five-factor model of personality. Journal of Personality, 57, 17–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McKechnie, G. E. (1977). The Environmental Response Inventory in application. Environment and Behavior, 9, 255–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Michelson, W. (1987). Groups, aggregates, and the environment. In E. H. Zube and G. T. Moore (Eds.), Advances in environment, behavior, and design (Vol. 1, pp. 161–185 ). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, G. T. (1989). Environment and behavior research in North America: History, developments, and unresolved issues. In D. Stokols and I. Altman (Eds.), Handbook of environmental psychology (Vol. 2, pp. 1359–1410 ). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Myers, I., and McCaulley, M. H. (1985). Manual: A guide to the development and use of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nasar, J. L. (1983). Adult viewers’ preferences in residential scenes: A study of the relationship of environmental attributes to preference. Environment and Behavior, 15, 589–614.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nasar, J. L. (1984). Visual preference in urban street scenes: A cross-cultural comparison between Japan and the United States. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 15, 79–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nasar, J. L. (1987). Effects of signscape complexity and coherence on the perceived visual quality of retail scenes. Journal of the American Planning Association, 53, 499–509.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nasar, J. L. (1988). Environmental aesthetics: Theory, research, and applications. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nasar, J. L. (1989a). Perception, cognition, and evaluation of urban places. In I. Altman and E. H. Zube (Eds.), Public places and spaces: Human behavior and environment (Vol. 10, pp. 31–56 ). New York: Plenum.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Nasar, J. L. (1989b). Symbolic meanings of house styles. Environment and Behavior, 21, 235–257.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nasar, J. L. (1990). The evaluative image of the city. Journal of the American Planning Association, 56, 41–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nasar, J. L., and Kang, J. (1989a). A post-jury evaluation: The Ohio State University design competition for a center for the visual arts. Environment and Behavior, 21, 464–484.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nasar, J. L., and Kang, J. (1989b). Symbolic meanings of building style in small suburban offices. In G. Hardie, R. Moore, and H. Sanoff (Eds.), Changing paradigms: EDRA 20 (pp. 165–172 ). Edmond, OK: Environmental Design Research Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). (1969). Public Law 91–190. Eighty-third Stat., 852856.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oostendorp, A. (1978). The identification and interpretation of dimensions underlying aesthetic behaviour in the daily urban environment. Dissertation Abstracts International, 40 (2), 990B.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oostendorp, A., and Berlyne, D. E. (1978). Dimensions in the perception of architecture: Measures of exploratory behavior. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 19, 83–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearlman, K. T. (1988). Aesthetic regulation and the courts. In J. L. Nasar (Ed.), Environmental aesthetics: Theory, research, and applications (pp. 476–492 ). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prak, N. L. (1984). Architects: The noted and the ignored. New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, A. T. (1984). Multivariate models and the attributes of the experience of the built environment. Environment and Planning B, 11, 173–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, A. T. (1986). Environmental perception and affect: A schema discrepancy model. Environment and Behavior, 18, 3–30.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Purcell, A. T., and Nasar, J. L. (1992). Experiencing other peoples houses: A model of similarities and differences in environmental experience. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 12, 199211.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapoport, A. (1982). The meaning of the built environment: A non-verbal communication approach. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rapoport, A. (1990). History and precedence in environmental design. New York: Plenum.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Rosch, E. (1977). Human categorization. In N. Warren (Ed.), Studies in cross-cultural psychology (pp. 1–49 ). London: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosch, E., and Mervis, C. B. (1975). Family resemblances: Studies in the internal structure of categories. Cognitive Psychology, 7, 573–605.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russell, J. A., and Snodgrass, J. (1989). Emotion and environment. In D. Stokols and I. Altman (Eds.), Handbook of environmental psychology (Vol. 1, pp. 245–280 ). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sadalla, E. K., Verschure, B., and Burroughs, J. (1987). Identity symbolism in housing. Environment and Behavior, 19, 569–587.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanoff, H. (1989). Facility programming. In E. H. Zube and G. M. Moore (Eds.), Advances in environment, behavior, and design (Vol. 2, pp. 239–286 ). New York: Plenum.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Seaton, R. W., and Collins, J. B. (1970). Validity and reliability of ratings of simulated buildings. In W. S. Mitchell (Ed.), Environmental design: Research and practice (pp. 6–10–1–6–10–12). Los Angeles, CA: Environmental Design Research Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shafer, E. L., Jr., and Richards, T. A. (1974). A comparison of viewer reactions to outdoor scenes and photographs of those scenes. Unpublished document, Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (Research Paper NE 302 ).

    Google Scholar 

  • Shirvani, H. (1985). The urban design process. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simonton, D. K. (1984). Genius, creativity, and leadership: Historiometric inquiries. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sonnenfeld, J. (1966). Variable values in the space and landscape: An inquiry into the nature of environmental necessity. Journal of Social Issues, 22, 71–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sparshot, F. E. (1972). Figuring the ground: Notes on some theoretical problems of the aesthetic environment. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 6, 11–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Starbuck, J. C. (undated). The most depicted buildings erected in the U.S.A. between the wars. Monticello, IL: Vance Bibliographies (Architecture Series, A34).

    Google Scholar 

  • Starbuck, J. C. (undated). The most depicted buildings erected in the U.S.A. since 1945. Monticello, IL: Vance Bibliographies (Architecture Series, A34).

    Google Scholar 

  • Stiny, G. (1981). The language of the prairie: Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie houses. Environment and Planning B, 8, 295–323.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thayer, R. L., Jr., and Atwood, B. G. (1978). Plant complexity and pleasure in urban and suburban environments. Environmental Psychology and Nonverbal Behavior, 3, 67–76.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tversky, A. (1977). On the elicitation of preferences: Descriptive and prescriptive considerations. In D. E. Bell, R. L. Keeny, and H. Raiffa (Eds.), Conflicting objectives in decisions (pp. 209–222 ). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tversky, B., and Hemenway, K. (1983). Categories of environmental scenes. Cognitive Psychology, 15, 121–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich, R. S. (1983). Aesthetics and affective response to natural environment. In I. Altman and J. F. Wohlwill (Eds.), Behavior and the natural environment: Human behavior and environment, advances in theory and research (Vol. 6, pp. 85–125 ). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ulrich, R. S., Simons, R. F., Losito, B. D., Fiorito, E., Miles, M., and Zelson, M. (1991). Stress recovery during exposure to natural and urban environments. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 11, 201–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Verderber, S., and Moore, G. T. (1979). Building imagery: A comparative study of environmental cognition. Man-Environment Systems, 7, 332–341.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vining, J., and Orland, B. (1989). The video advantage: A comparison of two environmental representation techniques. Journal of Environmental Management, 29, 275–283.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitfield, T. W. A. (1983). Predicting preference for everyday objects: An experimental confrontation between two theories of aesthetic behavior. Journal of Environment Psychology, 3, 22 1237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson, M. A., and Canter, D. V. (1990). The development of central concepts during professional education: An example of a multivariate model of the concept of architectural style. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 39, 431–455.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winkel, G., Malek, R., and Thiel, P. (1970). A study of human response to selected roadside environments. In H. Sanoff and S. Cohn (Eds.), EDRA 1: Proceedings of the 1st Environmental Design Research Association Conference (pp. 224–240 ). Stroudsburg, PA: Dowden, Hutchinson, and Ross.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wohlwill, J. F. ( 1974, July). The place of aesthetics in studies of the environment. Paper presented at the Symposium on Experimental Aesthetics and Psychology of the Environment at the International Congress of Applied Psychology, Montreal, Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wohlwill, J. F. (1976). Environmental aesthetics: The environment as a source of affect. In I. Altman and J. F. Wohlwill (Eds.), Human behavior and the environment: Advances in theory and research (Vol. 1, pp. 37–86 ). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wohlwill, J. F. (1982). The visual impact of development in coastal zone areas. Coastal Zone Management Journal, 9, 225–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wohlwill, J. F. (1983). The concept of nature: A psychologist’s view. In I. Altman and J. F. Wohlwill (Eds.), Behavior and the natural environment: Human behavior and environment, advances in theory and research (Vol. 6, pp. 5–37 ). New York: Plenum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wohlwill, J. F., and Kohn, I. (1973). The environment as experienced by the migrant: An adaptation-level view. Representative Research in Social Psychology, 4, 135–164.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, S. H. (1989). Sourcebook of contemporary North American architecture from postwar to postmodern. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zajonc, R. B. (1984). On the primacy of affect. American Psychologist, 39, 117–123.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. City and Regional Planning, Austin E. Knowlton School of Architecture, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, USA

    Jack L. Nasar

Authors
  1. Jack L. Nasar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Architecture, University of Sydney, 2006, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Gary T. Moore

  2. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

    Robert W. Marans

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Nasar, J.L. (1997). New Developments in Aesthetics for Urban Design. In: Moore, G.T., Marans, R.W. (eds) Toward the Integration of Theory, Methods, Research, and Utilization. Advances in Environment, Behavior and Design, vol 4. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4425-5_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4425-5_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-3258-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-4425-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation