The analysis and design of urban near-home environments according to psycho-social needs and behavior of human beings

Abstract

In this study, the design of urban near-home environments is examined considering the social and psychological needs of human beings as well as human spatial behavior. After an introduction to the concepts such as environment, near-home environments, human-environment interaction, human basic needs and human spatial behavior; the basic psycho-social needs of human beings are classified as safety, identity, social contact and privacy. These needs are analysed in relation to the design of urban near-home environments. Within this framework, behavioral concepts like territorility, personalisation, crowding are also considered. Furthermore, a research is conducted in Ankara, in two middle-density apartments with near-home environment of different design features. This research explores and compares the influences of these environments--which differ within themselves in terms of design characteristics--on the satisfaction of residents' psycho-social needs. Design suggestions are proposed at the end of the analysis of the findings of the research.