Guest Thinkers — August 27, 2010

Environmental Psychology

German city planners are hoping that applying “environmental psychology” will help make Hamburg’s huge new urban development a success.

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German city planners are hoping that “environmental psychology” will help make Hamburg’s huge new quarter — one of the largest urban development projects underway globally — successful. Spiegel explains that environmental psychology is a multi-faceted discipline — including social, physical, architectural and other elements. One expert says the key for Hamburg will be avoiding compartmentalization, such as when areas for offices are clearly separated from residential zones. In the new “HafenCity”, cultural and social institutions — such as art galleries, museums and the university — will be alongside commercial structures and residential buildings.

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