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A Conference
Reexamining Behavioral and Cultural Research in Environmental Design
College of Environmental Design, University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, U.S.A.
April 29–May 1, 2011
NEW! The conference proceedings are now available.
Keynote Speakers
About the Conference
Ever since William Whyte observed New Yorkers taking lunch breaks in urban plazas and Amos Rapoport demonstrated the role of social and cultural factors in shaping traditional houses, research on the two-way relationship between people and the environment has been part of the field of environmental design, including architecture, landscape architecture, and planning. This interest in the social quality of space has been taken up by many different researchers, from New Urbanists to sociologists such as Elizabeth Shove and Simon Guy. Meanwhile, theoretical and methodological developments in our field, such as Clare Cooper Marcus’s study on Easter Hill Village or Christopher Alexander’s pattern language, set grounds for our own and other disciplines, respectively. Throughout the last 40 years, psychologists, behaviorists, sociologists, anthropologists, and historians, among others, have contributed to a body of knowledge applicable to design at many scales through a broad spectrum of methodological and theoretical orientations.
Given the variety and the dynamism within this field, this conference aims to start a dialogue about the present and future of social research in environmental design. From its early days, where there was an alignment with behavioral determinism, to more recent approaches such as anthropological studies of space, social factors has been a diverse — and divisive — topic. Even though “the social” is still a major concern in environmental design research today, methods have shifted in response to the adoption of participatory design and the influence of post-modern and post-structuralist modes of inquiry. Moreover, other fields also have staked a claim to the analysis of social issues related to space. In this conference, we ask how contemporary research addresses the idea of “the social” in space, not only from those in our field, but also from those in emerging fields of research, to understand how we might address critiques such as the disconnect with design practice and our use of social science methods. Thus, we aim to connect researchers across dispersed fields, and to provide a platform for working together to define a common set of interests, research questions, and set a new direction for our field. In short, we seek the rebirth and redefinition of social factors.
The conference co-chairs and committee have accepted submissions in the following tracks:
- Papers
- Panels (moderated three-paper presentations organized around a specific theme)
- Posters (presenting research or research design in progress)
- Alternative representations: works of video, poetry, installations, or other modes of communication not included in the above categories.
Please note that the call is now closed and submissions will no longer be accepted.
Organizing Committee
Advisers
- Galen Cranz, Professor of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley
- Margaret Crawford, Professor of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley
- Michael Southworth, Professor of City & Regional Planning and Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning; Co-Chair, Master of Urban Design Program
We are very grateful to the following sponsors of the conference:
We are also grateful to the following conference supporters:
Contact Us
- Email us at
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is there a registration fee? No.
- Do I have to be present to present a conference or submit a poster? Yes.
- Why is this conference separate from EDRA? The Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) has been dedicated to collecting and presenting environment and behavior research for 40 years. We are not trying to imitate what EDRA is doing; on the contrary, we are trying to involve people who might not think of themselves as EDRA researchers in a conversation about the state of our field, brought together without registration fees.
- Who will be attending the conference? Please see the keynote speakers at the top of the page. We anticipate a diverse group of presenters and attendees. About 50% of
submissions so far are international. Represented are
Egypt, Canada, Russia, United Kingdom, Italy, France, and Mexico.
- Where will the proceedings be published? We will electronically compile the proceedings and make them available online for download. No paper copy will be produced.
- I am presenting a poster. How should it be formatted? Please make your poster as large as possible, up to 40" x 40" (or 1 meter square.) Please use easily legible fonts sized 16 points or greater so your poster will be readable at a distance.
- I am presenting a paper. How long should it be, and when do you need the final copy? We will not be asking for written copies of your paper. Instead, please prepare a 20-minute presentation on your paper. Slides are optional but recommended. We will have PCs and projectors set up in each room; please bring your presentations on a thumb drive.
- Where is a good place to stay? The conference will be held in Wurster Hall on the UC Berkeley campus. Wurster is a 15-20 minute slightly uphill walk from the downtown Berkeley BART station, which offers service to both the San Francisco (SFO) and Oakland (OAK) international airports and to downtown San Francisco. Several AC Transit bus lines drop off and pick up at Bancroft Way and College Ave., which is the closest street intersection to Wurster Hall (campus map | Google map). The two closest hotels are the Bancroft Hotel and the Hotel Durant. Basic, less expensive lodging is available at The Berkeley Hostel. All of these options are within walking distance of Wurster Hall; the Berkeley YMCA Hostel is another option closer to the BART station.
- Any other tips when making travel arrangements? If you plan to use BART to reach Berkeley from either airport (SFO or OAK) allow 60-90 minutes for the trip including transfer and waiting time. Also note that BART does not run 24 hours a day and that service is reduced on weekends. You can use BART's quick planner to check the schedule for a particular day and time.
