Env=> psychological effects of built env

Question 1

Key Research=> Ulrich

View through a window may influence recovery from surgery

Answer 1

Sample=>

• 46 patients in pennsylvania hospital=> had bladder surgery
• 23 pairs of patients were match=> only difference was the view they had
• 1 had a view of trees + the other had a view of a brick wall

Method=>
Nurse was blind gathered 5 types of information
-Length of hospitalisation
-Number + strength of painkillers per day
-Number + strength of doses for anxiety per day
-Minor complication that require medicine
-Nurses notes

Results=>

• Patients with view of trees= significantly less time spend in hospital compared to brick wall view
• Patients with tree view= fewer moderate-strong painkillers than brick wall view
• Significantly more negative notes in brick wall group

Conc=>
-Views of trees has a therapeutic effect on patients

Question 2

White et al=> green spaces

Answer 2

Longitudinal study with 10,000 people

• Reported less mental distress + more life ratification living in green areas (after accounting for extraneous variables like marital status + physical health)
• Positive effects of green spaces was equivalent to 1/3 of positive effects of being married

Question 3

Armitage=> cul-de-sacs + footpaths

Answer 3

• Whether cal-de-sacs are less likely to experience crime than through roads
• Culd-de-sacs= road layout where lowest levels of crime are likely to occur
• Footpaths can be included in residential developments if they are well used, short, direct, overlooked + well lit
• In general residential developments should limit connectivity to reduce crime

Question 4

Cohen et al=> noise

Answer 4

Investigate effect noise had on reading ability
-Children in NY city that all lived in apartments in 32 story building + all went to same school
-Children who lived higher up= less noise from traffic
-Reading was assessed=> achievement tests
that school children were given annually
-Higher up= better at reading ability
-Relationship between noise level + reading deficts

Question 5

Newman=> defensible space

Answer 5

-Investigated he found that the reason the buildings had become run down was not due to the people that were
living there but instead the way the housing project had been designed
-Landings shared by one or two families were well maintained but landings and staircases shared by over 20 families were not at all

Defensible space=>
-The idea that residents will maintain and look after areas that belong to them
-If public spaces are subdivided and assigned to individuals or small groups, they are much more likely to
look after those areas than massive groups of people
-If public spaces are cared for, it makes them feel as if they are owned and then will be ‘defended’ from criminals