[ENG] Architecture and urbanism: understanding the importance of the human-environment relationship in the process of human development
- Lu_rsr
- 31 de jul. de 2024
- 57 min de leitura
Luciana Regina Silva Rodrigues
Advisor: Elias Grossmann
Postgraduation in developmental psychology and psychology of learning
Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul - PUCRS
São Paulo, SP, 2024
[The full text has been translated to English by the writer with use of google translator. For original text in Portuguese: https://www.aurbinspira.com.br/post/arquitetura-e-urbanismo-rela%C3%A7%C3%A3o-pessoa-ambiente]
ABSTRACT
Through a narrative review, in the subject of politics, society and development, this paper seeks to understand the importance of the human-environment relationship in the process of human development. 3 databases and books (for specific concepts) were used. Contemporary physical contexts are discussed, with cases from the capital of São Paulo. As conclusion, the relevance of the problem is highlighted for a more conscious and responsible action among those involved in urban physical-setting construction.
Keywords: Human Development; Architecture and Urbanism; Environmental Psychology; Human-Environment Relationship; Socio-Environmental Impacts.
INDEX (click on topic to be directed)
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Problem Context
Based on the author's professional experience, in Architecture and Urbanism since 2012, with architectural projects developed for the real estate market, mostly in the state of São Paulo, it is possible to notice a growing and continuous lack of attention to the impacts that such interventions have on human and social development. Where the understanding, in scope and complexity, intrinsic to these intervention actions is no longer relevant, even less incorporated into the process. What is the meaning of the city for its population? Is this social function fulfilled in real-life scenarios as established in article 5, § 1 of Law No. 16.050 / 2014, called Política de Desenvolvimento Urbano e o Plano Diretor Estratégico do Município de São Paulo (literal translation: Urban Development Policy and the Strategic Master Plan of the Municipality of São Paulo)?
The Social Function of the City comprises meeting the needs of citizens regarding quality of life, social justice, universal access to social rights and socioeconomic and environmental development, including the right to urban land, decent housing, environmental sanitation, urban infrastructure, transport, public services, work, peace and leisure. [1]
Why did Nature cease to be part of urban design, of everyday context? How do built spaces and places free from construction stimulate human and ecosystem development? Weren't the favelas, the improvised ephemeral shelters (street dwellers), the street vendors' carts and stalls, as well as the commercial and residential complexes, classified as “high standard”, created by the same society, by the same political-economic system? To whom are opportunities and improvements being offered with the current provision of services and public policies? How could the space for commune coexistence – and the development of human skills, especially socio-emotional – be reduced, walled off and isolated to the privacy of a favored group? How can physical-social assemblages – land with varied characteristics, neighborhoods with unique vocations, people with diverse profiles – be simplified into standardized forms and archetypes, surrounded by pre-defined infrastructures?
With experience in intervention proposals of various scales participating on discussions with several complementary teams – in the public and private sector –, the psychological states of the likely humans who would benefit from these interventions are rarely or never mentioned. Or even, the society for which such interventions are defended, much less the systemic consequences of their implementation. From vertical residential condominiums, between single towers in urban lots and multiple towers in block complexes, to horizontal residential complexes in closed condominiums or open lots. Less reflective process is also observed in interventions with commercial units – mixed use, according to the São Paulo Master Plan. Stores whose internal area is impaired due to favoring the economic rationality of the main structural system (residential units above). Or even, the first floors with commercial units determined based on the quantity achieved with the minimum use of common area to access them, discarding care for the psychophysical needs of the public who can work and be served there.
In parallel, the works with residential interior design – with greater professional dedication in the last 3 years by the author – allow a closer and direct relationship with São Paulo residents – final users of major interventions in the housing market. With them, the perception is periodically reinforced of how much these built spaces and construction processes in the city are impacting – and will continue to impact – negatively on human psychology in the absence of new interventions, approaches or accessories for environmental qualification and psychosocial rehabilitation. Aspects that involve both the public and private spheres.
A few possibilities that sustain these negative impacts: abandonment or denial of what exists – with the lack of periodic and preventive maintenance, neglect of areas in degradation (or pre-disposed to deteriorate), lack of attention to unoccupied properties and unassisted growth of favelas; lack of interest in the values of the city, its identity (why not appreciate respect and recognition for heritage, analyze urban voids and idle areas with surveys of the areas' vocation and redirection of uses, or even support new urban-cultural proposals at local levels?); opportunities emphasized or accelerated by revisions of the Master Plan and related regulations, such as that of Parcelamento, Uso e Ocupação do Solo (literal translation: Subdivision, Use and Occupation of Land) (Law 16.402/2016) and the Código de Obras e Edificações do Município de São Paulo (literal translation: Constructions and Buildings Code of the Municipality of São Paulo) (Law 16.642/2017) – generating housing market “booms” (aspired by economic growth), but without attention to the impacts on human development processes in the location, in the neighborhood, in the city. This last panorama is covered by Medeiros (2022) in his digital publication for Jornal da USP:
While the Master Plan had the proposal to affect the imbalance of the capital's needs and resolve its asymmetries, it, at the same time, has an impact on the series of demolitions that are taking place in São Paulo. According to Beatriz, the infrastructure structural axes include the creation of areas where construction densification is encouraged and, therefore, become areas of interest for large companies as they allow for a greater number of constructions. [...] The reality is that this verticalization is designed for high-income people, who can pay the expensive rental prices for large apartments and condominiums that have a lot of parking space and few residents, a type of project that goes against the real demand from the population of São Paulo.[2]
Entities fail in their governance with daily reformulated demands: schedules that are established through Physics and Mathematics sciences on lives and systemic complexities that, in turn, are established through Human sciences. Who generates the demands? Who establishes the amount of time required for the ongoing processes? Theoretical-objective rationality prevails where human development requires understanding, flexibility and integrity of what we experience in our own time. The Estatuto da Cidade (literal translation: City Statute) (Law 10.257 / 2001) presents, in its art. 2nd, the general guidelines which reality proves difficult to de followed:
Urban policy aims to order the full development of the social functions of the city and urban property, through the following general guidelines: I – guaranteeing the right to sustainable cities, understood as the right to urban land, housing, environmental sanitation, urban infrastructure, transport and public services, work and leisure, for present and future generations; II–democratic management through the participation of the population and associations representing various segments of the community in the formulation, execution and monitoring of urban development plans, programs and projects; III–cooperation between governments, the private sector and other sectors of society in the urbanization process, in response to social interests; IV–planning the development of cities, the spatial distribution of the population and the economic activities of the Municipality and the territory under its area of influence, in order to avoid and correct the distortions of urban growth and its negative effects on the environment; V–offer of urban and community facilities, transport and public services suited to the interests and needs of the population and local characteristics [...].[3]
It is difficult to observe people who mobilize themselves to contribute with the care of space and commune coexistence, to contribute with services that offer opportunities for the diverse and complementary development of the local community, or even, to assume their social responsibility in the face of their choices and way of living. At the same time, do public governance, architecture, urban design and sectors involved with this physical-spatial construction offer opportunities for the interests and participation of its population?
On October 12th, 2023, a recreational park designed for the physical-cognitive development of children in early childhood was opened in São Paulo, in the neighborhood Saúde. There are several opportunities to increase stimulation of motor and sensory capabilities, through varied geometries in the design and proposed activities. Possible for interactions and games beyond those expected, to be improvised with safely (SECOM, 2023).
During the author's personal visit to this park, on March 2th, 2024, less than 5 months after its inauguration, it was possible to observe sections of the monolithic floor missing, as well as cracks along the entire pump track (figure 1); in addition, the upper peripheral fence, made of wood, moved when lightly pushed (suggesting low resistance). This section of fence is on the limit of the lot – bordering a busy avenue – Avenida Professor Abraão de Morais –, separated only by a narrow sidewalk. There is even a section of the fence detached on the other side’s limit – bordering with Avenida Botuquara (figure 2). The sound of heavy vehicles passing next to the park, when the traffic lights change, is significant.
On the left (1), photo of the pump track. At the top of the photo, enlargements of the cracks. Author's personal archive, 2024. On the right (2), photo of traffic on Av. Prof. Abraão de Morais. At the top of the photo, enlargements of the section of fence displaced along the border with Av. Botuquara. Author's personal archive, 2024.
Even though the intervention provides opportunities for the positive development of residents and children and requalifies the park's surroundings, who is, in fact, paying attention to the care that real daily use requires? These damaged points already signal a place that is likely to deteriorate if there is no immediate maintenance. Anticipating a possible closure of the newly opened park, as well as a possible lack of feeling of belonging, appropriation and identity to the patrimony by local users - who do not show any affectation at the first signs of deterioration of this communal space (and continue recreational activities in the damaged areas).
What will happen to the psychology of these users? Is the initially proposed security sustainable? Will interactions increasingly be limited by the likely increase in damaged sections? Even so, this region is already covered (and no longer contemplated) by urban improvements for early childhood children – under the political agenda. Where is the coherence of the context: what is the purpose of an intervention, of a public policy that does not involve the community for its appropriation and care? Is there a deep and holistic concern for local identity and the real human development of its users?
The psychology of São Paulo residents has been negatively affected by the large mass of physical constructions inconsistent with the stimuli favorable to human development, increasing the massiness of these constructions in spaces open to communal coexistence, such as plazas and sidewalks. Is this a physical-spatial context conducive to the prosperity of a human being who is increasingly being removed from his level of consciousness and socio-environmental responsibility? Is this a physical-spatial context conducive to stimulating cognitive and socio-emotional skills? Is this a physical-spatial context conducive to the sustainable development of biodiversity that the Homo Sapiens species is part of, and which equally depends on for natural survival? A reality contrary to that established in art. 5th, item XXIII, of the Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil de 1988 (literal translation: Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil of 1988): “The property will fulfill its social function”.[4]
According to Millar and Fanini (2023), a new emigration movement from Brazil is taking place, starting from the middle class, in response to current feelings related to malaise (fear and apprehension) – anticipating a low quality of life in near future. Two aspects, cited by the same authors, were raised as causing this perception of reality by emigrants:
The first is because the hypervigilance of the middle class in relation to the risks of urban violence has imposed limitations on everyday freedom [...] Secondly, concerns about security among middle-class Brazilians have eroded what they understood as being “good quality of life”, by limiting opportunities - to work efficiently, improve your qualifications or move up the career ladder (p.14).[5]
Is emigration something aspired by its original nation, aspired to our human development? Wouldn't these same negative feelings be possible to be observed in other disadvantaged classes or vulnerable groups? But, without financial and/or psychological resources for emigration, must submit themselves to staying in this physical space that psychologically distresses them day after day? How does the city support them in their rights, in their existence? Segaud (2016) reinforces the stagnant panorama of the human-environment relationship: “Space crystallizes, at certain times and frequently, social relations” [6] (p.115). Pallasmaa (2011), reiterates the temporal neglect of contemporary times when the narrative of each space is addressed:
The buildings of our technological age often deliberately aim for timeless perfection and do not incorporate the dimension of time or the inevitable and mentally important process of aging. This fear of the traces of wear and age is related to our fear of death (p.30).[7]
1.2. Theme, Problem and Objectives
Amid these concerns, it was decided to study, at this moment, how architecture and urbanism are related to the processes of human development. Within the theme of politics, society and development, the following problem to be addressed in this research is addressed: how to understand the importance of the human-environment relationship in the process of human development? Seeking, in Developmental Psychology and Environmental Psychology, clarifications about the elementary relationships with the environment, other people and other beings within a physical context. Considering this research as relevant for more conscious, ethical and responsible action among all those involved with this urban physical-spatial construction.
With the general objective of understanding the importance of the human-environment relationship in the process of human development, the following secondary objectives were stablished: identifying, in Urie Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory of human development, aspects of the physical context in which this human develops; enumerate the related concepts, developed by Environmental Psychology: environmental docility, emotions and environmental affectivity, rootedness and place attachment; cite a holistic view of Architecture and Urbanism, including contemporary concepts: sustainable urban design and ecodesign, placemaking and tactical urbanism.
Clarifying that the concept of space and place, although they have differences in their meaning between researchers (and research fields), in this study, they cover both built environments (isolated buildings, sets of buildings, internal and external areas linked to these), as well as environments free of buildings (streets and sidewalks, squares, parks, gardens) – in public, private, community or original spheres. Paying attention to the subjectivity of the conception and perception of what makes up the physical-spatial reality for human beings throughout their development process.
2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1. Developmental Psychology
2.1.1. Urie Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory of human development
Human development is a continuous and daily process. In which the person feels motivated and empowered to engage in activities that allow the assimilation of a broader, deeper and more consistent perception of their actions, being, living in form and content. Making it possible to prosper, sustain or remodel this ecological environment in which it is located. Both in the field of perceived reality and in the field of its performance as a transformative agent, activating and articulating levels of complexity greater or similar to those of the previous moment (Bronfenbrenner, 1981).
Encouraging the mind to wander and unpretentiously experience objects and space act in the elaboration of unconscious thought. It is equally important to incorporate into the routine the habit of suspending directed and literal thinking, with activities of dispersion and abstraction, enabling the action of creative processes. However, the excess of current demands makes this time and space for unconscious reflections unfeasible. To the point that, when people find themselves in that moment, they are faced with a disturbing feeling that leads to resistance to this experience, reinforcing a rational defensiveness (Huskinson, 2021).
Although there are many studies covering human behavior and development, the data and theories hardly encompass the environmental aspects related to such research. Therefore, they tend to neglect the non-social aspects of engaging in observation. Just as they reduce the contextual environment solely to the immediate interface where the subject is located – the microsystem (Bronfenbrenner, 1981).
For many psychologists, space is understood as an elementary component of personality, as well as structuring its identity. Since, to appropriate this space, singularizing it based on the subject's own feelings and culture allows exercising a certain control and level of power over it, requiring the individual's constant attention to this relationship (Segaud, 2016). Pallasmaa (2011) reinforces this uniqueness in terms of memories and sensory perceptions:
In memorable architectural experiences, space, subject and time merge into a single dimension, the basic substance of life, which penetrates our consciousness. We identify with this space, this place, this moment, and these dimensions become ingredients of our own existence. Architecture is the art of reconciling us with the world, and this mediation takes place through the senses (p.68).[8]
The importance of studying human behaviors together with the environment in which such behaviors develop is emphasized, paying particular attention to human-environment relationships. Since there is a consensus among sociologists and psychologists that the perception of the environment interferes with human behavior and development. Noting differences between behaviors observed in laboratory environments and in real-life scenarios of these same people (Bronfenbrenner, 1981).
For example, contact with nature throughout childhood and youth development helps promote the individual's general well-being, although most studies focus on this relationship considering only green spaces (Liu, Green, 2024). Likewise, the importance of these green spaces as a motivating element for active mobility is already understood, although few studies encompass both in an integrated way (Liu et al., 2024). Pallasmaa (2011) adds on the sensory perception in these spaces: “A walk in the forest is invigorating and healthy thanks to the constant integration of all sense modalities”[9] (p.39).
When we address the interactions of the same person between microsystems in their routine – such as home, school/work, environments, we are talking about a mesosystem. Being active when a person moves between these environments. The exosystem refers to scenarios in which people do not actively participate, but where events affect their microsystems (or are affected by them). Finally, the macrosystem encompasses all other scenarios and situations that exist or may exist in addition to the previous systems – and may also incorporate systems of ideas or ideologies that underlie them (Bronfenbrenner, 1981).
Thus, an interactive and engaged community among its individuals allows them to share their lives, actions and experiences in such a way that there is an intertwining, a characteristic system of the community: resistant, fortified, with continuous feedback – where these individuals support each other. These circumstances and the existence of spaces for shared use (available for meetings and community relations) support the well-being of the individual, as well as that of the group – stimulating social and cooperative relationships (Uchida et al., 2023). So, when we have such places and a sense of collectivity, a community intervention, in addition to preventing loss of functional capacity in individuals, can promote greater health and well-being (Ide et al., 2023).
Emphasizing that the environment is not an “objective scenario”, nor is it equally understood by everyone. It is a physical set that directs behaviors based on how the environmental stimuli of this set are perceived by the people in it and the meaning that this perceived reality represents for them. It is also where we find a motivational tangibility between the person and the events and/or objects in that environment (Lewin apud Bronfenbrenner, 1981). Pallasmaa (2011) describes this form of apprehension and how unique and relevant this process is for the perception of one's own identity and personal freedom:
In intense emotional states, sensory stimuli seem to move from the most refined senses to the most archaic, descending from vision to hearing, touch and smell, and going from lights to shadows. A culture that seeks to control its citizens is likely to promote the opposite direction of interaction, moving away from the individuality of intimacy and identification and toward physical and public isolation (p.46).[10]
Human development cannot occur without an environment. The person is always situated in a space and time. Promoting this development that alters the person's own characteristics in internal reorganization. It also promotes an improvement in the perceptual and conceptual acuity of this environment. In such a way as to feel motivated and capable (field of perception) to maintain activities (field of action) that conserve, restructure or reveal the properties of this environment at similar levels or with a greater degree of complexity. Under all levels of ecological environments (micro-, meso-, exo-, macrosystem) (Bronfenbrenner, 1981). In addition, Cavalcante and Elali (2018) cover the affective issues involved in this human-environment relationship:
The literature shows that every physical environment provokes emotions, and understanding this process through the mediation of affectivity allows us to understand how environments affect our emotional states and how, dialectically, our emotional states affect our action in the environment. Therefore, when behavioral changes are identified from one location to another (e.g., from urban to rural environments, between cities, countries or even continents), the role of environments/places in terms of affective experiences can be understood, as well as understanding whether or not these can enhance the actions of subjects (p.70).[11]
Therefore, different scenarios stimulate specific patterns of behavior in the person. Based on your perception in this scenario about your social role, your related activities and the relationships involved. Other examples: children behave one way at school, another at home. Just as their parents behave differently among co-workers and their family members (Bronfenbrenner, 1981).
Architecture can offer the senses clarity of thoughts by delimiting a space and time in this world. The mind finds itself in a spatiality that can be socialized, interactive and understandable to humanity. It is in this geometry that there is action, as well as reaction, of those in activation of thoughts (Pallasmaa, 2011).
However, when the ecological environment alters due to changes in social roles or scenarios or both, there is an ecological transition. Take the example of a mother having first contact with her newborn. The best human development manifests itself in a person's growing capacity to remodel their reality in coherence with their needs and interests (Bronfenbrenner, 1981). Lynch (2010), highlights the importance of environmental support not only in routine, but also, throughout human life, in these ecological transition processes:
The function of a good visual environment can not only facilitate routine movements, nor confirm pre-existing meanings and feelings. Its role as a guide and stimulus for new explorations can be equally important. [...] When an environment has a strong visible frame and extremely characteristic parts, exploring new sectors becomes easier and more inviting. If strategic communication links (such as museums, libraries and meeting points) have had their existence publicized, those who usually ignore them may be tempted to get to know them (p.122).[12]
The role of public spaces free of buildings for educational development is also highlighted. Where opportunities for informal learning manifest themselves through coexistence, experimentation, observation, interaction with the environment. In exchange of experiences, contact with nature and sociocultural diversity. Furthermore, these spaces promote personal development in socio-emotional, physical and cognitive skills through community, recreational and/or leisure activities (Pereira et al., 2024).
2.2.Environmental Psychology
2.2.1.Environmental Docility
Environmental docility indicates the potential use of that space according to the performance of individual capabilities of the person. The more docile this environment is for the person, the greater the possibilities of acting in their optimal performance zone. Providing adaptive behaviors and positive affects, since psychosocial conditions and environmental characteristics (flow, usability, transpositions, guidelines...) allow them to balance their skills with current demands (Cavalcante, Elali, 2018).
On the other hand, the less docile this environment appears to its user, it can cause too much frustration and/or stress by demanding skills and/or performance above their performance zone. In turn, the reinforcement and continuity of these circumstances generate emotional responses that make it difficult to manifest adaptive behaviors. Especially when they involve everyday activities and spaces of daily use, creating too many difficulties for the user and their direct contacts, such as relatives or caregivers (Cavalcante, Elali, 2018). Cavalcante and Elali (2018) cite the main causes of this stress:
In general, such difficulties are consequences of physical or psychological limitations (illnesses, negative affective state, feeling of loss); cognitive limitations (forgetfulness, disorientation, or a mixture of these two limitations); architectural barriers (stairs, uneven sidewalks) or ergonomic barriers (tall buses, small letters on signs); lack of environmental support (handrails, places to rest, rejection of a cane or hearing aid) (p.50).[13]
At the same time, we do not aim for a “sterile” or challenge-free environment, as it is human nature to explore curiosity and creativity in decoding scenarios and contexts. Attention is reinforced in planning and adapting different environmental stimuli in a proportional way to the capabilities of its users, allowing them greater autonomy. It is also expected that this socio-physical environment will stimulate new skills, as well as provide opportunities, with psychological safety, for testing and experimentation (Cavalcante, Elali, 2018).
2.2.2.Emotions and Environmental Affectivity
In addition, it is understood that emotions and environmental affection are fundamental in the process of creating bonds between people and places. Theories, still little explored in research, mainly address biological and/or symbolic aspects, but other aspects can also be mentioned. Understood as mediators of mental processes (covering physical, psychosocial, symbolic and sociocultural dimensions) and the coherence of an immediate reality, emotions help in the evaluation, awareness and transformation of spaces into an ethical dimension. Here, incorporating ecological responsibility, community interests and needs (Cavalcante, Elali, 2018). Cavalcante and Elali (2018) describe the essentiality of space for subjective development, the recognition of meanings and social transformations, based on emotions and environmental affectivity:
Place as mediation is as essential for human beings as emotions are for thought (here understood as an expression of higher psychological functions). The process of appropriating space shows that the physical environment is a stage for actions, but also for the attribution of meanings, which makes the environment/place an extension of individuals' subjectivity, giving a special meaning to existence and impacting human evolution as ontogeny. In other words, human beings are capable of interfering in the evolutionary processes of their species, bringing emancipatory social transformations into their daily reality. Emotions, affection and place are fundamental in this process (p.69).[14]
Emotions guide reasoning and decision-making, even though they are associated with the intuitive system. They can be triggers for various behaviors and actions, including pro-environmental behaviors (when associated with positive emotions) or environmentally inappropriate behaviors (when associated with negative emotions). Place affection enters the emotional and symbolic dimension, where meanings are constructed. Therefore, the place is not just something physical and external to the person. It is symbolic and expresses the identity of individuals. It is possible to observe, in life story narratives, how places/environments with strong meanings, symbolisms and identification support lived experiences, composing the subjective space (Cavalcante, Elali, 2018). According to Bomfim (2010 apud Cavalcante, Elali, 2018), this aspect of the human-environment relationship is found in the ethical and empathetic dimension:
When this affectivity encompasses the “place” dimension, it starts to address issues involving the social construction of public space, coexistence with what is different, citizenship and sustainability, among others. In this sense, the ethical dimension is present when the inhabitants' affections are recognized as an expression of needs that are often neglected by urban public management and, in this way, environmental affection can be understood as knowledge, guidance and ethics in the city (p. 66).[15]
Affects precede actions and, thus, interfere with them, being understood as sets of feelings and emotions. They prevent or help change in the face of scenarios of ethical-political suffering, enabling the analysis of social contradictions in their usual reality. They thus assume an emancipatory character for social transformations (Cavalcante, Elali, 2018).
2.2.3.Rootedness
Rootedness can also be associated with the spatial context that links the person who lives there to their ancestors, or even, with the intrinsic sense of home in a physical reality. The latter encompasses a safe, welcoming and stable experience for self-spontaneity, recognizing the uniqueness of this place. Furthermore, it may be related to the sense of familiarity – a recurring and cyclical past – leading to habitual and, therefore, not necessarily conscious experiences, merging your temporal perception with spatial perception (Cavalcante, Elali, 2018).
On the other hand, uprooting, its semantic opposite, is understood as something negative and not desired. Perceived as detrimental to the development of social and healthy behaviors. A relevant theme since the traumatic experiences of the Second World War (and subsequent decades), it deepened with globalization, evident from 1980 onwards. When places lose their importance and assume a generic character due to rapid cultural transformations, with physical distance and detachment from affective aspects of social processes. Revealing a precarious relationship between people, communities and physical spaces with the “uprooting” of everything and everyone to guarantee the global dynamics (Cavalcante, Elali, 2018).
2.2.4. Place attachment
Another concept refers to place attachment and, like rootedness, is complex and incorporates multiple perceptual fields. It interrelates symbolic/affective meanings with physical-spatial aspects based on the assimilations made by people and/or social groups, assuming a dynamic character. With references to the past (experiences and memories) and the potential (expectations or imagined experiences) of the place, related by the person interactively with the present (Cavalcante, Elali, 2011).
The literature in the area divides the concept into three dimensions: functional, symbolic and relational. In the first dimension, physical space interferes with people's behaviors by attracting, encouraging or inhibiting their movements in perception of that space. It can be a positive perception (generates productivity and well-being) or a negative perception (generates stress and frustration), determining a collaborative (positive) or competitive (negative) environment among those present. In the second dimension, symbolic value (sociocultural and individual) influences people and/or social groups in understanding the circumstances they are in and, consequently, how they act. In the relational dimension, the dynamic interaction between human and environment, in terms of social involvement (especially with friends and family) and the physical-spatial characteristics where the interaction takes place, generates a feeling of community. Such a place and specific group make the person feel like they belong, strengthening their personal and community identity (Cavalcante, Elali, 2011). In addition, Giuliani, Ferrara and Barabotti (2000 apud Cavalcante, Elali, 2011) discuss the temporal aspect and the influences involved in this area of the human-environment relationship:
[...] place attachment develops gradually and requires some time to consolidate, with the main influences being continuous assessment of environmental quality considering the needs of the individual in question; meaning of the place for your own identity; length of residence and familiarity with the place. Emphasizing that such processes are not mutually exclusive, on the contrary, they complement and interact to transform undifferentiated places into singular places, the authors infer the possibility that, depending on their mobility conditions, people develop many (and differentiated) attachment relationships with the places they have contact with (p.56).[16]
2.3.Architecture and Urbanism
As Cavalcante and Elali (2011) describe: “The primary function of the place is to generate a sense of belonging and connection” [17] (p.212). Thus, any change in the environment in which they are located requires people to commit to new appropriation and identification. Therefore, faced with constant physical-spatial transformations, it is necessary to analyze the impacts on those who experience these spaces, how people perceive their surroundings and sustain their identity of the place (Cavalcante, Elali, 2011). Especially given the “uprooting effect” of globalization on people and individuals, which are characterized by a feeling of alienation and loss that mark the psychology of modern man (Ianni apud Cavalcante, Elali, 2018).
Architecture is closely related to the existence of human beings and their behavioral manifestations in society. It provides bases for perception, for experiences, for understanding. Interacting and articulating with the senses in continuous reinforcement for our apprehension of reality. Architecture is not a detachable and relocatable element. It structures and orders the guiding axes of social and everyday life – conceptually and materially. It evokes attention, stimulates the expansion of existential experience. It enables human expression in time and space, in its passage through the world (Pallasmaa, 2011). Pallasmaa (2011) illustrates the complexity of the human-environment relationship:
The authenticity of the experience of architecture is based on the tectonic language of building and the scope of the act of building for the senses. We contemplate, touch, hear and measure the world with our entire bodily existence, our memory and identity. We are in a constant dialogue and interaction with the environment, to the point where it is impossible to separate the image of the ego from its spatial and situational existence (p.61).[18]
Urbanism is a living organism that does not distinguish between interior and exterior; between personal, communal, private or institutional possessions. It consists of values, of an artistic order, of an intrinsic order to the human being. Where the transformation of environmental reality retains human attention. Where you recognize yourself in something that you do not yet understand, and whose meaning or affectivity encourages you to this understanding (Argan, 2005). Pallasmaa (2011) expresses the deep and reflective dynamics that a design action (and the processes involved) requires from the professional committed to the development of this living organism:
[...] during the design process, the architect gradually internalizes the landscape, the entire context and functional requirements, in addition to the building he designed. [...] as the work interacts with the observer's body, the experience reflects on the designer's bodily sensations. Consequently, architecture is the communication of the architect's body directly with the body of the person who encounters the work, perhaps centuries later (p.63).[19]
According to Bomfim (2010, 2014), “estimating” the place allows enhancing the actions of individuals in the city, with ethical-political commitment and active social participation. Based on the emotional understanding (emotions and feelings) of the images and affective representations of the place you are in, as well as the worldviews linked to it. On a positive note, cultivate feelings of pleasantness and belonging – which enhance action and space. On a negative note, when faced with spaces that are being manipulated and/or generate feelings of insecurity, “place estimation” is inhibited. The subject moves away from community, social, participatory causes. In large metropolises, it is also possible to find “contrast effects” that encompass both aspects of the same location. Needing remodeling of the functioning of the city, with interventions, requalification and other initiatives to make it possible to review processes, in social terms, of violence, marginalization and vulnerability and, in environmental terms, of degradation (Cavalcante, Elali, 2018). Huskinson (2021) highlights this symbolic and subjective nature of buildings:
Buildings are dynamic events that reveal and conceal a myriad of possible meanings and provoke an imaginative response; whatever insights they are supposed to evoke in the subject cannot at all be understood or deciphered in literal terms. Psychoanalysis allows the decoding of unconscious language only to a certain extent. [...] However, to assume that a building can be appropriated as a passive object and led to give up its secrets is to deny its essential symbolic nature (p.77).[20]
The architectural space incorporates memories, primitive behaviors, ancestries. Guides, directs, encourages contemporary movements and behaviors. It is not restricted, nor does it result solely from the functional and conscious demands of users or inhabitants, from the social and intellectual needs of a population. It transcends its geometry and what we categorize as measurable. It is an experienced space, without experiential finiteness. It promotes an intimate, deep and unique contact with each person (Pallasmaa, 2011). Pallasmaa (2011) reinforces how the exaltation of the sense of vision can be understood as an action that promotes negative impacts on human development:
The lack of humanism in contemporary architecture and cities can be understood because of neglect of the body and senses and an imbalance in our sensory system. The increase in alienation, isolation and loneliness in today's technological world, for example, may be related to a certain pathology of the senses. [...] The predominance of the eyes and the suppression of other senses tends to force us into alienation, isolation and exteriority. The art of vision, without a doubt, has offered us imposing and thought-provoking buildings, but it has not promoted human connection to the world (p.17).[21]
Specific solutions or isolated adaptations to meet a certain demand (accessibility, for example), with the addition of removable elements or specific paths (outside the main circulation), are no longer understood as appropriate in design, architecture and urban planning projects. Highlighting the importance of encompassing environmental docility in the design, to guarantee the effectiveness of participation and social inclusion (Cavalcante, Elali, 2018).
2.3.1.Sustainable Urban Design e Ecodesign
With the growing expansion of the urban population, extreme threats to the environment and increasing social inequalities, sustainable urban design emerges as an alternative to the paradigm of traditional urbanism. Reshaping its conceptual scope beyond buildings and infrastructures. Where communities help to understand the configurations of resilient urban spaces, environmentally responsible and capable of promoting communal well-being and social prosperity (Omole, Olajiga, Olatunde, 2024).
The contemporary urban experience requires this conscious thinking beyond functionality, quality, style and aesthetics. Ecodesign integrates professional experience with the users' perspective, requiring involvement with the community and constant management between regulations and the desires and demands of this community in intervention. It requires a new format to conceptualize development: emphasized on people's daily perception and interactivity with the city, as well as its affect on them. Where the objective is to offer the best physical-spatial circumstances for social interactions, memorable experiences enriched emotionally, in addition to meeting the basic principles for urbanity, such as health and safety (Barnett, Beasley, 2015).
2.3.2.Placemaking
Placemaking is born as a communal, participatory and qualifying action for public spaces. Applicable through tools that assist in planning, management and implementation for the redefinition and constitution of this new place for exchanges and social activities. It promotes cultural connections and transformations, where local identity is found while paying attention to the demands of those who live and coexist there. It also supports the community and place’s potential, strengthening social and community bonds (Rocha et al., 2024).
As the interdisciplinary non-profit organization Project for Public Spaces (PPS) (2017 apud Rocha et al., 2024) describes: “More than just promoting better urban design, placemaking facilitates creative patterns of use, paying special attention to the physical aspects, cultural and social identities that define a place and support its continuous evolution” (p.177).[22]
2.3.3.Tactical Urbanism
As one of these tools, tactical urbanism allows a rapprochement between the local population and the public spaces available in their surroundings. Aiming to meet the immediate demands of communities and, thus, adding new values to the use of these spaces. Through small, low-cost interventions with less executive complexity – quick to implement and complete. Where it is possible for residents, users, citizens – human beings – to assume their roles as transforming agents of the city (Lyndon et al. apud Magrini, Campos Neto, 2024).
3.METHODS
Through a narrative literary review, this research, with reflective purposes and qualitative analysis of documentary data, was prepared between the months of February and April 2024. Considering the scope and interdisciplinarity of the problem under study, limitations of available research on such content and the time for its completion, it was decided to substantiate relevant concepts for the discussion.
Investigating books on the specific subject, aspects of the physical context in which this human develops are identified in Urie Bronfenbrenner's bioecological theory of human development. The related concepts developed by Environmental Psychology are also listed: environmental docility, emotions and environmental affectivity, rootedness and place attachment. Finally, a holistic view of Architecture and Urbanism and new concepts related to contemporary practice are cited: placemaking, tactical urbanism and sustainable urban design and ecodesign. In addition to the substantiation and clarifications of concepts involved in the discussion, articles found in the searches described below were also used.
To develop the discussion and complement the introduction, scientific articles and news were sought from 2022 onwards. The time frame was chosen paying attention to reflections and developments that may be linked to the year in which the end of the Emergência em Saúde Pública de Importância Nacional (literal translation: Public Health Emergency of National Importance) (ESPIN), due to the Covid-19 pandemic (started in February 2020 and ended in April 2022), as announced by the Ministry of Health (2022). To search for scientific articles, the digital platforms Google Scholar, SciELO and Science Direct were used with the descriptors (in Portuguese): “Urie Bronfenbrenner” AND “arquitetura” OR “ambiente” (in English, “Urie Bronfenbrenner” AND “architecture” OR “environment); “apego ao lugar” OR “enraizamento” AND “bem-estar” AND “ambiente” (in English, “place attachment” OR “rootedness” AND “well-being” AND “environment”).
Among the articles found, those whose theme was directly related to some aspects of the present study were selected. Selected by the analysis of the titles initially and, of the abstracts, in the absence of clarity. In publications between 2022 and 2024, those that focused on human relationships and perceptions, human-environment relationships associated with architecture, urbanism, society, culture in the context of research (physical environments with human interaction) were selected.
A new examination was carried out by the reanalysis of the abstracts, together with the conclusions of the articles. Excluding those whose research objective focused on other realities and specificities not addressed here such as: virtual reality, augmented reality, behavioral influences by technologies uses, neural mechanisms, stimuli and responses, specific diseases, behavioral disorders, physical or mental disabilities, etc.
To illustrate with cases, researching on the same platforms mentioned, studies in the city of São Paulo in publications from the year 2024 were sought with the descriptors: “São Paulo” AND “revitalização” AND “arquitetura” OR “urbanismo” (only in Portuguese). Furthermore, for the introduction to this study, there was also an analysis of legislation. Selecting those that directly influence citizenship and possibilities of social relations, urbanity and opportunities for human-environment relations in São Paulo: Plano Diretor Estratégico do Município de São Paulo (literal translation: Strategic Master Plan of the Municipality of São Paulo) (Law nº 16.050 / 2014), City Statute (Law 10.257 / 2001) and Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil de 1988 (literal translation: Constitution of the Federative Republic of Brazil of 1988).
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Evidence suggests that the ideal situation for learning and development occurs when we create opportunities for the person to exercise control over the situation, based on a gradual change in power (Bronfenbrenner, 1981). How can we enable an encounter with emotions and affection in its physical context, an environmental docility, or even the development of place attachment so that this gradual change in power can exist?
When dull public spaces are designed, whose parameters are standards defined by or for a certain social group, by or for certain perceptions and projections of realities – such as the revitalization of (park-plaza) Vale do Anhangabaú, in São Paulo? As Dias (2023) comments in his digital publication for the portal A Vida no Centro (literal translation: life in center): “Ignoring and disregarding whatever there was before, another strange territory comes again to the unsuspecting passerby. [...] Society excludes fraternal spaces and replaces them with revitalization, ignores social practices and pushes people away, merely people”[23].
Or when massive constructions and structures difficult to modify are designed in decontextualized implementations – such as the construction standards and design approaches for Minha Casa Minha Vida (PMCMV) (literal translation: my home, my life) programs in São Paulo? Legroux (2021 apud Da Silva, 2024) presents the negative impacts of this reality for the city and society:
[...] recent studies have demonstrated processes of fragmentation, based on an “imposed segregation” by housing market and neoliberal dynamics of the production of space and by State action, from PMCMV projects, with confinement, not to mention spatial and social distancing of the popular classes (p.9). [24]
Are environments planned and designed to promote human development? With incentives for the psychological safety of those who live or coexist in them? With positive reinforcement of the sense of belonging and identity, of its rootedness? Rocha (2024) considers the following hypothesis, incorporating the Brazilian policy approach:
[...] in Brazil, the public authorities, when designing and implementing living spaces in cities, do not usually consider the people for whom these spaces are intended, as a constitutive part of the process, not identifying with them their desires and needs for the place, resulting in projects not centered on these people, but only to fill absences identified by them without their participation. This fact leads to some problems: one of them is having spaces created for one use and that people, after implementation, will give another use value. Another example are projects not thought of for different audiences, ending up being exclusionary (p.185). [25]
In an observation study conducted by Weinraub and Lewis in 1977, the behavior of 2-year-old children was observed after their mothers left a playroom, the scene of the experiment. Children whose mothers informed them of their departure and/or their brief return and gave specific instructions on what to do during this time were more likely to continue playing and less likely to cry. Children whose mothers discreetly left without warning were more likely to cry and less likely to continue playing (Bronfenbrenner, 1981).
Could it be that the lack of direct and participatory communication between local users and those who execute and/or propose a physical intervention in a space could create a feeling like that perceived by children? Where, in an instant, their perceptions of reality change due to the awareness of a new scenario (in the study: the absence of their mother)? Having the environment changed in your usual set without warning, nor guidance on the interactive possibilities of this physical-perceptual intervention as you become aware of this new scenario?
The urban planning of this contemporary city is on the agenda. Where the privatization and suppression of public spaces, as well as the growth of the real estate market and the reproduction of generic standards retract the humanization and identity of this city (Magrini, Campos Neto, 2024). Magrini and Campos Neto (2024) suggest alternative initiatives and practices that can help requalify urban spaces in favor of healthy socio-environmental development:
Among the existing alternative practices, it is important to highlight the use of empty, degraded or abandoned spaces as starting points for the reconquest of public spaces. Through collaborative urban micro interventions, it is feasible to modify spaces and repair them with initiatives that value their cultural resources and improve the quality of life, through community integration. These initiatives include the creation of parks, squares, gardens and other green areas that help improve the environmental and social quality of the city (p.707). [26]
It is also observed that projects whose residents and users are heard and involved in the entire design and development process are more likely to be characterized as an inclusive space. With a unique identity reflecting the needs and desires of the local community, in addition to these spaces becoming promoters of a sense of belonging (Rocha, 2024).
(Park) Parque Augusta, containing the last area of Atlantic Forest in the central region of the city of São Paulo, is seen as a successful example that developed from a popular initiative. Providing the population with awareness about the use of the right to the city and tactical urbanism as a tool for changing paradigms in urban planning. On this land, property owners and developers advocated the construction of mixed-use vertical condominiums. At the same time, engaged citizens and civil society requested public spaces and green areas for the region (which lacked these) (Magrini, Campos Neto, 2024).
After decades of negotiations, the city hall and construction companies reached an agreement, using the legal instrument of Transferência do Direito de Construir (literal translation: Transfer of the Right to Build) – TDC, and built the park, opened in November 2021. This park has become a reference for leisure, culture and connection with nature not only for residents and users of the surrounding area, but also for other regions of the city due to the easy access. Benefiting and adding quality to the city. It should be noted, however, that the maintenance, preservation and conservation of this public space is equally important (Magrini, Campos Neto, 2024). Magrini and Campos Neto (2024) analyze this form of community approach to interventions as promising:
In this way, it is easy to understand the contribution of this movement to the development of a new model of urban administration, which is based on the scale of pedestrians, the reappropriation of the city and the reconfiguration of the concept of public, aiming for a more participatory and inclusive city (p.710).[27]
In the case of the (Cemetery) Cemitério da Consolação, also located in the central region of São Paulo and listed by Conselho de Defesa do Patrimônio Histórico (literal translation: Council for the Defense of Historical Heritage) (CONDEPHAAT), the process of transforming it into a space for cultural enjoyment occurred in 2015, 10 years after being included in the city's tourist itinerary, starting from the perception of their tombs as “Tomb Art” or “Historical Personality”. The Projeto Memória e Vida (literal translation: Memory and Life Project) uses the cemetery's historical past to encourage its visitors to reflect on the past and present, to promote a better understanding of problems in this contemporary society. For example, the spatial-territorial dispute “between the living and the dead”. Addressing a variety of issues – such as health, architecture and urban planning, legislative parameters, religiosity and symbolism, artistic and iconographic appreciation, the historical importance for the city itself – to stimulate awareness of a broader meaning than a simple physical space occupied by deceased people (Londero, Rocha, Barros, 2024).
As Pallasmaa (2011) describes: “Architecture connects us with the dead; through the buildings we can imagine the bustle of the medieval city and visualize the solemn procession that approaches the cathedral”[28] (p.49). The Serviço Funerário Municipal de São Paulo (literal translation: São Paulo Municipal Funeral Service) itself (2016 apud Londero, Rocha, Barros, 2024) understands the need for resignification and cultural appreciation of this urban space:
To allow citizen occupation of these spaces, it is necessary to encourage a new perception about municipal necropolises. In this direction, actions are needed that give new meaning to these places, also recognize their historical/social function as a cultural hub, disseminator of knowledge, spaces for interdisciplinary research and highlight their vocation as memory parks that represent, for families, the depository of memories, of the sweetest and most vivid stories of the loved ones buried there and, for society, a significant record of their history, of memory and celebration of life (p.13). [29]
Is the city's Identity characterized only by its architecture and urban design? Does each person's feeling of belonging, of their rootedness, of their appropriation, of their place attachment, come from providing shelter from the elements or access to basic sanitation? What leads to a real, complex, coexistence connection, to an environmental affectivity with these spaces that contextualize life and human development? Are urban revisions and socioeconomic mobilizations covering and supporting the vulnerable providing them opportunities for socio-emotional learning, respect, cooperativeness and, thus, human development for society as a whole? Segaud (2016) comments on the invisibility of social groups in the context of housing:
All of this reflects the immense distance that can exist between anthropological data relating to habitat space and solutions such as those formulated in housing architecture projects. Within this gap, it is necessary to add an element that is very difficult to identify and that concerns the way in which the modern habitat is experienced in industrial societies: it is known that, for many newcomers, legal or illegal immigrants, the habitat remains an instance integration capital in the country that hosts them (p.75). [30]
The acquisition of academic knowledge is not the only actor in the learning process. The active participation of society is also important. Enabling the development of skills, values, critical thinking and social awareness. It is through public spaces that these enriching and meaningful experiences are possible. Assuming its democratic and interactive role in the urban context (Pereira et al., 2024).
In the case of graffiti, in the city of São Paulo, it is observed that their absence or presence contributes to sociocultural segregation. When this city should be a receptive, inclusive space, open to different ways of being and expressing oneself. Valuing the way of life of the people who live there and transforming their spaces based on their daily practices. Where the city assumes its importance in the formation of a fairer and more cooperative society. Where public policies value promoting people's well-being and not just the city's aesthetics. Enabling its educational potential with practices and uses of its spaces consistent with the needs of its residents (Marangão, 2024).
Pallasmaa (2011) describes the feeling that manifests itself in the field of symbolic perception: “A sense of melancholy permeates all touching experiences of art; This is the regret of the immaterial temporality of beauty. Art projects are an intangible ideal, the ideal of beauty that momentarily touches the eternal (p.51)”. [31] While Nogueira, Favareto and Arana (2022) reinforce the relevance of incorporating into urban design the understanding of human-environment relationships, respect and social needs between individuals:
Human beings, as individuals, need to activate spontaneity to act in the face of the pandemic in a healthy way, and the community needs to improve and review relations with the environment. It is necessary, therefore, to reevaluate the way in which cities are developed and planned, in addition to the fact that we urgently need to develop a sense of collectivity and empathy among the people and populations who inhabit the planet (p.7). [32]
For Beatriz Rufino, from the Departamento de Projeto na área de Planejamento Urbano da Faculdade de Arquitetura e Urbanismo (literal translation: Department of Design in Urban Planning at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism) (FAU) at USP (university), the economic interest turned to the interests of real estate production. In less than a century, areas that were already historically valued – and until then, already with great production – began to receive lucrative attention along the mobility axes (Vila Mariana and Pinheiros neighborhoods). Furthermore, this productive speed has destroyed the city's landscapes, passages and memory (replacing original buildings with multiple verticalities), building and consolidating new centralities: Centro, Paulista, Faria Lima. It also reinforces the neglect and lack of interest in the preservation of existing buildings – external to the current real estate focus –, which are forgotten and emptied amid new productions (Medeiros, 2022).
There is a projection close to double the number of new condominiums for 2024 (818), compared to last year (424), in São Paulo – according to data collected by the condominium administrator (Data) Lello. Where medium and high standard residential developments – estimated at R$15.2 to R$22.5 thousand per square meter – account for more than 50% (60.8%) of this verticalization in the city, predominantly located in the neighborhoods: Pinheiros, Vila Nova Conceição, Vila Clementino, Moema, Perdizes, Itaim Bibi and Vila Mariana. While those of medium-low standard – estimated at R$9.05 thousand per square meter – are 24.2%, predominantly located in more peripheral neighborhoods: Butantã, Barra Funda, Belenzinho, Cambuci and Ipiranga. Only 11.5% of these real estate productions will be destined for economic standard residential properties – estimated at R$6.5 thousand per square meter –, predominantly located in other peripheral neighborhoods: Parque Novo Mundo, Guaianases, Itaquera, Paraisópolis and Pirituba (Quesada, 2024).
In the author's personal experience, there is an inversion of the values set out in the São Paulo Master Plan regarding public enjoyment and the reality made available to citizens. In February 2023, there was an open square, without visual barriers, with spaces for free and diverse use on street level of ARQ Vila Mariana project, by the construction company you,inc, in the Vila Mariana neighborhood, in São Paulo (figure 3). But, in January 2024, in search of this same square, could only find its closure, next to the sidewalk, in glass (figure 4). With a door, although free for access when pushed (with a locking system, if necessary). However, the first impression was that this square was no longer public and, therefore, intimidating to entering it. A feeling of apprehension and vigilance. Is this the real model that will be observed when attending to the concept of public enjoyment? Or when attending to direct access to the city, opportunities for social coexistence, place attachment, requalification and new meaning of urban life?
On the left (3), the illustrated perspective available in the project's ebook with the following description: “The square is the center of everything. [...] A rare space in big cities, connecting people and services.” Available at: https://www.youinc.com.br/imovel/apartamentos-venda-vila-mariana-sao-paulo-sp-arq-vila-mariana-by-youinc. Accessed on: April 21, 2024. On the right (4), photo of the square surrounded by glass, accessed through a door. Author's personal archive, 2024.
Another situation witnessed by the author occurred in a residential condominium aimed at the low-income population and located in the same block (and neighboring blocks) as other favelas in the Campo Belo neighborhood. On the corner, next to (street) Rua Gutemberg and (street) Rua Casemiro de Abreu, close to the edge of the lot, there is a single slide. It is possible to observe the moment when a child was playing on this slide, at the same time as another – outside, leaning against and holding on to the vertical bars, with his face between the gaps of the fence of this project, was looking at the child that slid. Is this the type of relationship that human beings develop? What are the emotions and environmental affections generated for each of these children? Is this the type of relationship that the right to the city, in its practical form, offers? What is considered the physical context of the lived reality and the affective context of that which is planned?
Public policies interfere in the development of people and their behaviors, as they determine the conditions for creating the scenarios in which they are inserted (Bronfenbrenner, 1981).
In a study conducted by Halles, Kennel and Susa, in 1976, it was observed that mothers in contact with their newborn soon after birth (up to 45 minutes) demonstrated a more attentive and affectionate relationship with their baby, compared to mothers who had this contact only after 12 hours of birth. In 1977, Ringler observed that 5-year-old children whose mothers had immediate contact with their newborns had higher intelligence quotient (IQ) and better understanding of language compared to those who did not have such contact (Bronfenbrenner, 1981).
Is enough attention dedicated to the first contact of humans with the environments in which they are inserted, especially those in which they are/will be intervened architectural-urbanistically? If the first contact with the mother proves to be of such significance for the better development of this human being and, considering that there is no way to develop oneself without an environment, according to Bronfenbrenner (1981), is the necessary amount of time being dedicated to the care for the primary, embryonic relationships between people and their environments? Doesn't each new perception of reality, awareness of a new context ask for the apprehension and search for links, relationships, meanings, circumstantially known possibilities? Just like in the study with babies, by Weinraub and Lewis, mentioned above, when noticing their mothers' absence without prior notification? Pallasmaa (2011) highlights the negative impacts, on human perception, of diverse, decontextualized and uninterrupted environmental stimuli:
The incessant bombardment of unrelated imagery leads to a gradual emptying of the emotional content of the images. Images are converted into infinite commodities manufactured to postpone boredom; Human beings themselves are commodified if consumed indifferently, without having the courage or even the possibility to confront their own existential reality. We are made to live in a world of manufactured dreams (p.32).[33]
Situating the on-going thoughts on the process of human development in the bioecological theory of Urie Bronfenbrenner (1981): how is it possible for this person to prosper, sustain or remodel the ecological environment in which they find themselves, if they are not involved in these aforementioned processes, if they do not participate in the physical-spatial alteration of the environment – of the context – of their daily life? Wouldn't the embryonic human-environment contact, the human senses and feelings, be lost, made precarious or unfeasible?
Isn't this level of perceptual complexity of reality related to emotions and environmental affectivity? With the perception of a sense of belonging and identity, of your rootedness? And how much does environmental docility impact real opportunities for human development? Pallasmaa (2011) addresses the contemporary prioritization of the sense of vision (and neglect of the other senses):
An extraordinary factor in the experience of closing spaces, creating interiors and tactility is the deliberate suspension of focused and concentrated vision. This question has rarely entered the discourse of architectural theory, which insists on being interested in focused vision and perspective representation with conscious intentions. [...] Peripheral vision integrates us with space, while focused vision takes us out of space, making us mere spectators (p.12). [34]
Sustainable urban design does not only refer to practices to reduce environmental impacts. It also incorporates the well-being of communal life with practices focused on the needs and aspirations of the community. Promoting more resilient urban spaces, inviting to active mobility, social interactions and community participation. Holistically working environmental, social and economic aspects in this urban environment to ensure social equity (Omole, Olajiga, Olatunde, 2024). Urban spaces that not only meet basic principles, such as safety and efficiency, access to health and public transport, but, mainly, that provoke the senses, emotions, feelings to generate meaningful and memorable experiences in socio-environmental interactions (Barnett, Beasley, 2015).
An invitation to governments and institutions to invest in new urban proposals and creative approaches to ensure the quality of spaces and community well-being (Omole, Olajiga, Olatunde, 2024). Ecodesign requires integrative management between reformulations of regulations – to coordinate the maximization of benefits and minimization of costs and undesirable effects – and opportunities for flexibility for people and companies to express themselves in achieving their own objectives. To enable, on a daily basis, a satisfactory urban experience, fulfilling and contributing to the personal development of all citizens (Barnett, Beasley, 2015).
One way to mitigate urban density is by incorporating it into the landscape design. Grassy and tree-lined flowerbeds, as well as ornate gardens along the facades soften the perception of massive constructions. Another measure is to increase the setback of the towers along the boundaries, limiting the built mass along the promenade to three or four floors – this considerably reduces the oppression generated by the proximity to tall buildings (Barnett, Beasley, 2015). Architects and urban planners can also contribute to actions and/or projects that involve the community – in workshops, for example – resulting in more inclusive concepts and development processes. Promoting spaces with mixed uses (commercial, residential and recreational), in varied combinations and inviting for community use. Offering more harmonious models for better developed human-environment relationships (Omole, Olajiga, Olatunde, 2024).
5. CONCLUSION
Before designing architecture for people or planning urban design for populations; before interpreting legislation that coordinates people in their actions; Before defining measurable and materializable goals and objectives, it is necessary to understand the importance of the human-environment relationship in the process of human development. It is necessary to understand this human being who shapes and is shaped. It is necessary to understand the emotions and senses that mobilize people – in their perceptive fields, in their performance zones, in their diverse relationships – for expansive and, at the same time, restorative movements.
It is necessary to ensure affection for the place, providing opportunities for its appropriation, maintenance and adaptation in respect and coherence with the demands and desires of its residents and users. It is necessary to ensure that physical-spatial interventions are not uprooted from their surroundings, nor do they invade the perceptions of reality of those who live there, relate to each other, count with each other, identify themselves. It is necessary to find the spatial materialities that structure human development and that accompany people and their communities throughout all their vital processes. Dynamic and systemic concepts are necessary, involving all actors and stakeholders understanding the relational complexities of the populations mentioned and the transformative potential of each location in its diversity.
But respect for the person and the environment, attention to those affected and likely to be affected, dedication to the process of understanding and contextualized studies no longer seem to be compatible, under parameters of time and investment, with the contemporary political-economic sector. There is no care for ecological transitions, nor support for environmental docility. At least, in the capital of São Paulo. Pointing out the relevance of active social participation. Through which people can perceive themselves in coexistence, learn from their community and contribute spontaneously with empathetic actions that are coherent with the reality of those who live there. Through which people can find value and esteem in public spaces, their surroundings, and their identity.
With the case of (park) Parque Augusta, it is also possible to observe elements suggestive of place attachment: positive perception/potential of the space by the community, with historical-symbolic relevance to the participants and bringing visibility to local needs through interactions and social organizations. Furthermore, the fact that today it is a reference place for leisure and recreation for residents and visitors from other neighborhoods tends to characterize itself as a docile environment.
By physically intervening in their socio-physical perception, what development is estimated for this human being? For their learning in social interactions and ecosystemic coexistence; for their existential belonging; for their intrinsic and transcendental cooperation? The approach through ecodesign may allow us to approach these understandings. Reconciling regulations, which coordinate the limitations of physical spaces, with the spatial flexibility necessary to meet the demands, desires and needs of the local community, requiring their participation alongside the professionals responsible for the intervention. To jointly develop all the stages that shape urban spaces and enable daily adjustments so that people can adapt, with psychological security, to ecological transitions.
It is observed, however, that the process of human development is complex and incessant. Present in every moment of human perceptions and actions. Not only literal thoughts, but idleness and unconscious reflections are part of this process. Revealing Architecture and Urbanism as elementary physical factors of a context conducive to development. Where public spaces tend to be structuring stability for the process of human development, given their democratic character, enhancing social interactions, adaptive in their use for different social roles and accessible for different phases of personal development. Acting in and articulating with all levels of ecological environments (micro-, meso-, exo-, macrosystem) conceptualized by Bronfenbrenner (1981). Suggesting that both the urban design of a macrosystem and the architecture of a microsystem interfere, to a greater or lesser extent, in the development of the person to which they are related.
One can also reflect on the learning process outside the school environment and the importance of reviewing architectural-urban-cultural values, as discussed in the case of the (project) Projeto Memória e Vida, at the (cemetery) Cemitério da Consolação, in São Paulo. On the other hand, there are also the effects of a city with precarious human-environment relationships. Such as insecurity and negative perspectives about the near future in one’s current location – symptoms of uprooting, according to Cavalcante and Elali (2018). Or even, the sociocultural segregations, discussed in the case of graffiti, in São Paulo. It is possible that sustainable urban design can give new meaning to these neglections and other urban contradictions. As the human-environment relationship, the local community, ethics and socio-environmental responsibility begin to be incorporated into the approach to physical interventions and holistic visions within urban development processes, enabling greater psychosocial coherence between ecological environments.
Thus, the relevance of the topic of politics, society and development in discussions and research is highlighted. Surveying and analyzing contemporary aspects that require revisions or conceptual and/or methodological deepening in their practical applications. Paying attention to the temporality that this theme covers, considering the period of human natural-systemic processing and the period of developments in proposed intervention or conception. Aspects that, in turn, require further studies with the intention of understanding the importance of the human-environment relationship in the process of human development.
For future research, it is worth highlighting the need presented by many researchers to encompass cross-sectional aspects and carry out longitudinal studies regarding the human-environment relationship. In direct complement to the study presented here, other concepts from Environmental Psychology can deepen the understanding, such as: affordance, biophilia, appropriation, risk perception, place identity and urban social identity. As well as in Developmental Psychology and Psychology of Learning: risk and protective factors for healthy development – the extent to which the characteristics of physical spaces and their environmental qualities can be associated. Fundamental understandings to enrich the currently developing approaches by sustainable urban design and ecodesign.
Contributions from other areas can also shed light on new knowledge about the human-environment relationship. In Anthropology, analyzing constructive processes of cultural values (objects, habits, rituals, traditions, worldviews) of individuals and their communities and how these reveal themselves and are strengthened in physical space. In Sociology, identifying the constructive and affective elements of the identity of a people, a nation and the actions that feedback this authentic and strengthened identity. In Philosophy, understanding the levels of human consciousness and identifying the circumstances that make it possible to move between them (understanding the construction of physical-spatial perception), as well as associating them with the I-Thou and I-It relationships (conceptualization introduced by Martin Buber).
Other important legislation on the subject is the Estatuto da Pessoa Idosa (literal translation: Statute of the Elderly Person) (Law nº 10.741 / 2003), the Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente (literal translation: Statute of Children and Adolescents) (Law nº 8.069 / 1990) and the Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional (literal translation: Law of Guidelines and Bases of National Education) (Law nº 9.394/1996). Looking more carefully at the needs and demands of people at all stages of life, as well as their learning processes beyond academic development. Alerting to the sensitivity and necessary training of everyone involved in architectural and urban planning processes to understand and promote physical contexts coherent with the existing community’s way of living (desires, concerns and needs). Offering, in these spaces, in these places, in these environments, flexibility, adaptability, environmental docility and, mainly, offering incentives for social relationships and active participation in society. Developing a dynamic, democratic, inclusive and significant architectural-urban character for those who use, visit and live there. Providing not only citizenship, but also strengthening the human-environment relationship within the present context and throughout all human development processes.
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[1] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Função Social da Cidade compreende o atendimento das necessidades dos cidadãos quanto à qualidade de vida, à justiça social, ao acesso universal aos direitos sociais e ao desenvolvimento socioeconômico e ambiental, incluindo o direito à terra urbana, à moradia digna, ao saneamento ambiental, à infraestrutura urbana, ao transporte, aos serviços públicos, ao trabalho, ao sossego e ao lazer.”
[2] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Enquanto o Plano Diretor tinha a proposta de incidir no desbalanceamento das necessidades da capital e resolver suas assimetrias, ele, ao mesmo tempo, tem incidência na série de demolições que estão ocorrendo em São Paulo. Segundo Beatriz, há nos eixos a criação de áreas onde se estimula o adensamento construtivo e, portanto, se tornam áreas de interesse das grandes empresas por permitir maior número de construções. [...] A realidade é que essa verticalização é pensada para pessoas de alta renda, as quais podem pagar os caros preços de aluguel de apartamentos grandes e condomínios que possuem muita vaga de garagem e poucos moradores, um tipo de projeto que contraria a demanda real da população paulistana.”
[3] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “A política urbana tem por objetivo ordenar o pleno desenvolvimento das funções sociais da cidade e da propriedade urbana, mediante as seguintes diretrizes gerais: I–garantia do direito a cidades sustentáveis, entendido como o direito à terra urbana, à moradia, ao saneamento ambiental, à infra-estrutura urbana, ao transporte e aos serviços públicos, ao trabalho e ao lazer, para as presentes e futuras gerações; II–gestão democrática por meio da participação da população e de associações representativas dos vários segmentos da comunidade na formulação, execução e acompanhamento de planos, programas e projetos de desenvolvimento urbano; III–cooperação entre os governos, a iniciativa privada e os demais setores da sociedade no processo de urbanização, em atendimento ao interesse social; IV–planejamento do desenvolvimento das cidades, da distribuição espacial da população e das atividades econômicas do Município e do território sob sua área de influência, de modo a evitar e corrigir as distorções do crescimento urbano e seus efeitos negativos sobre o meio ambiente; V–oferta de equipamentos urbanos e comunitários, transporte e serviços públicos adequados aos interesses e necessidades da população e às características locais [...]”.
[4] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “A propriedade atenderá a sua função social”.
[5] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “A primeira se deve ao fato de a hipervigilância da classe média em relação aos riscos de violência urbana ter lhe imposto limitações à liberdade cotidiana [...] Em segundo lugar, preocupações com a segurança entre os brasileiros de classe média erodiram o que compreendiam como sendo “boa qualidade de vida”, por meio da limitação de oportunidades - de trabalhar com eficiência, de aprimorar suas qualificações ou ascender na carreira” (p.14).
[6] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “O espaço cristaliza, em certas épocas e com frequência, as relações sociais”
[7] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Os prédios de nossa era tecnológica em geral visam de maneira deliberada à perfeição atemporal e não incorporam a dimensão do tempo ou o processo inevitável e mentalmente importante do envelhecimento. Esse temor dos traços do desgaste e da idade se relaciona com nosso medo da morte” (p.30).
[8] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Em experiências memoráveis de arquitetura, espaço, matéria e tempo se fundem em uma dimensão única, na substância básica da vida, que penetra em nossas consciências. Identificamo-nos com esse espaço, esse lugar, esse momento, e essas dimensões se tornam ingredientes de nossa própria existência. Arquitetura é a arte de nos reconciliar com o mundo, e esta mediação se dá por meio dos sentidos” (p.68).
[9] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Um passeio na floresta é revigorante e saudável graças à integração constante de todas as modalidades de sentidos” (p.39).
[10] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Em estados emocionais intensos, os estímulos sensoriais parecem sair dos sensos mais refinados para os mais arcaicos, descendendo da visão para a audição, o tato e o olfato, e ir das luzes para as sombras. Uma cultura que busca controlar seus cidadãos provavelmente promoverá a direção oposta de interação, saindo da individualidade da intimidade e identificação e indo para um isolamento físico e público” (p.46).
[11] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “A literatura mostra que todo ambiente físico provoca emoções, e o entendimento desse processo por meio da mediação da afetividade permite compreender como os ambientes afetam nossos estados emocionais e como, dialeticamente, nossos estados emocionais afetam nossa ação no ambiente. Sendo assim, quando se identificam mudanças comportamentais de um local para outro (p. ex., do ambiente urbano para o rural, entre cidades, países ou mesmo continentes), pode-se entender o papel dos ambientes/lugares em termos de experiências afetivas, bem como compreender se estas podem ser potencializadoras ou não da ação dos sujeitos” (p.70).
[12] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “A função de um bom ambiente visual pode não apenas facilitar os deslocamentos rotineiros, nem confirmar significados e sentimentos preexistentes. Seu papel como guia e estímulo de novas explorações pode ter a mesma importância. [...] Quando um ambiente tem uma forte moldura visível e partes extremamente características, a exploração de novos setores fica mais fácil e mais convidativa. Se os elos de comunicação estratégicos (como museus, bibliotecas e pontos de encontro) tiveram sua existência divulgada, aqueles que costumam ignorá-los podem sentir-se tentados a conhecê-los” (p.122).
[13] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Em geral tais dificuldades são consequências de: limitações físicas ou psíquicas (doenças, estado afetivo negativo, sentimento de perda); limitações cognitivas (esquecimento, desorientação, ou uma mescla dessas duas limitações); barreiras arquitetônicas (escadas, desníveis nas calçadas) ou ergonômicas (ônibus altos, letras pequenas nas placas); falta de apoio ambiental (corrimão, locais para descansar, rejeição à bengala ou ao aparelho de audição)” (p.50).
[14] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “O lugar como mediação é tão essencial para os seres humanos quanto são as emoções para o pensamento (aqui entendido com expressão das funções psicológicas superiores). O processo de apropriação do espaço mostra que o ambiente físico é palco para as ações, mas também para a atribuição de significados, o que torna o ambiente/lugar extensão da subjetividade dos indivíduos, dando um sentido especial à existência e impactando a evolução humana enquanto ontogenia. Ou seja, o ser humano se faz na capacidade de interferir nos processos evolutivos da sua espécie, trazendo transformações sociais emancipadoras em sua realidade cotidiana. Emoções, afetividade e lugar são fundamentais nesse processo” (p.69).
[15] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: Quando essa afetividade abrange a dimensão “lugar”, passa a abordar questões que envolvem a construção social do espaço público, a convivência com o diferente, a cidadania e a sustentabilidade, dentre outras. Nesse sentido, a dimensão ética está presente quando se reconhece os afetos dos habitantes como expressão de necessidades que muitas vezes são negligenciadas pelas gestões públicas urbanas e, dessa forma, a afetividade ambiental pode ser compreendida como conhecimento, orientação e ética na cidade (p.66).
[16] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “[...] o apego ao lugar se desenvolve gradualmente e exige algum tempo para consolidar-se, tendo como principais influências: contínua avaliação da qualidade ambiental frente às necessidades do indivíduo em questão; significado do lugar para sua própria identidade; tempo de residência e familiaridade com o local. Salientando que tais processos não são mutualmente exclusivos, ao contrário, complementam-se e interagem de modo a transformar locais indiferenciados em lugares singulares, os autores inferem a possibilidade de, em função de suas condições de mobilidade, as pessoas desenvolverem muitas (e diferenciadas) relações de apego em relação aos lugares com os quais têm contato” (p.56).
[17] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “A função primária do lugar é a de gerar um senso de pertencimento e de conexão”
[18] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: A autenticidade da experiência da arquitetura se fundamenta na linguagem tectônica de se edificar e na abrangência do ato de construir para os sentidos. Contemplamos, tocamos, ouvimos e medimos o mundo com toda nossa existência corporal, nossa memória e identidade. Estamos em um diálogo e interação constante com o ambiente, a ponto de ser impossível separar a imagem do ego de sua existência espacial e situacional (p.61).
[19] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “[...] durante o processo de projeto, o arquiteto gradualmente internaliza a paisagem, todo o contexto e os requisitos funcionais, além da edificação que ele concebeu. [...] à medida que a obra interage com o corpo do observador, a experiencia reflete nas sensações corporais do projetista. Consequentemente, a arquitetura é a comunicação do corpo do arquiteto diretamente com o corpo da pessoa que encontra a obra, talvez séculos depois (p.63).
[20] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Edifícios são eventos dinâmicos que revelam e ocultam uma miríade de possíveis significados e provocam uma resposta imaginativa, quaisquer insights que eles supostamente evocam-no sujeito não podem ser de todo compreendidos ou decifrados em termos literais. A psicanálise permite a decodificação da linguagem inconsciente apenas até certo ponto. [...] No entanto, presumir que um edifício possa ser apropriado como objeto passivo e levado a desistir de seus segredos é negar sua natureza simbólica essencial“ (p.77).
[21] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “A falta de humanismo da arquitetura e das cidades contemporâneas pode ser entendida como consequência da negligência com o corpo e os sentidos e um desequilíbrio de nosso sistema sensorial. O aumento da alienação, do isolamento e da solidão no mundo tecnológico de hoje, por exemplo, pode estar relacionado a certa patologia dos sentidos. [...] O predomínio dos olhos e a supressão dos outros sentidos tende a nos forçar à alienação, ao isolamento e à exterioridade. A arte da visão, sem dúvida, tem nos oferecido edificações imponentes e instigantes, mas ela não tem promovido a conexão humana ao mundo” (p.17).
[22] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Mais do que apenas promover melhor design urbano, o placemaking facilita padrões criativos de usar, prestando especial atenção aos aspectos físicos, culturais e sociais identidades que definem um lugar e apoiam sua evolução contínua” (p.177).
[23] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Ignorando e desprezando o que havia antes, vem de novo outro território estranho ao passante desavisado. [...] A sociedade exclui espaços fraternos e substitui com revitalização, ignora tratos sociais e afasta pessoas, simples pessoas”.
[24] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “[...] estudos recentes têm demonstrado processos de fragmentação, a partir de uma “segregação imposta” por dinâmicas imobiliárias e neoliberais da produção do espaço e pela ação do Estado, desde projetos do PMCMV, com o confinamento e o afastamento espacial e social das classes populares” (p.9).
[25] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “[...] no Brasil, o poder público quando da concepção e implementação de espaços de convivência nas cidades não consideram as pessoas, habitualmente, para quem estes espaços se destinam, como parte constitutiva do processo, não identificando junto a elas seus anseios e necessidades para o lugar, resultando em projetos não centrado nessas pessoas, mas apenas para suprir ausências por eles identificadas sem a participação. Este fato leva a algumas problemáticas: uma delas é ter espaços criados para um uso e que as pessoas, a partir da implementação, darão outro valor de uso. Outro exemplo são os projetos não pensados nos diferentes públicos, acabando por ser excludentes” (p.185).
[26] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Dentre as práticas alternativas existentes, é relevante salientar a utilização de espaços vazios, degradados ou abandonados como pontos de partida para a reconquista dos espaços públicos. Por meio das micro intervenções urbanas colaborativas, é viável modificar os espaços e repará-los com iniciativas que valorizem seus recursos culturais e aprimorem a qualidade de vida, por meio da integração da comunidade. Essas iniciativas incluem a criação de parques, praças, jardins e outras áreas verdes que ajudem a aprimorar a qualidade ambiental e social da cidade” (p.707).
[27] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Dessa forma, é fácil compreender a contribuição desse movimento para a elaboração de um novo modelo de administração urbana, que se baseia na escala dos pedestres, na reapropriação da cidade e na reconfiguração do conceito de público, visando uma cidade mais participativa e inclusive” (p.710).
[28] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “A arquitetura nos conecta com os mortos; por meio dos prédios conseguimos imaginar o alvoroço da cidade medieval e visualizar a procissão solene que se aproxima da catedral” (p.49).
[29] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Para permitir uma ocupação cidadã desses espaços é preciso incentivar uma nova percepção acerca das necrópoles municipais. Nessa direção são necessárias ações que deem novo significado a esses locais, reconheçam também sua função histórica /social como polo cultural, disseminador de conhecimento, espaços de pesquisas interdisciplinares e ressaltem ressaltar sua vocação como parques de memória que representam, para as famílias, o depositário das lembranças, das histórias mais doces e vivas dos entes ali sepultados e, para a sociedade, um registro significativo de sua história, de memória e celebração da vida” (p.13).
[30] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Tudo isso reflete a imensa distância que pode existir entre os dados antropológicos relativos ao espaço do habitat e as soluções como as que são formuladas nos projetos de arquitetura habitacional. A essa distância, é preciso acrescentar um elemento muito difícil de identificar e que diz respeito à maneira como o habitat moderno é vivido nas sociedades industriais: sabe-se que, para muitos recém-chegados, imigrantes legais ou clandestinos, o habitat permanece uma instância capital de integração no país que os acolhe” (p.75).
[31] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “O “Uma sensação de melancolia permeia todas as experiências tocantes de arte; esse é o pesar da temporalidade imaterial da beleza. Os projetos de arte são um ideal intangível, o ideal de beleza que momentaneamente toca o eterno (p.51)”.
[32] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “O ser humano, enquanto indivíduo, precisa acionar a espontaneidade para agir diante da pandemia de forma saudável, e a coletividade precisa melhorar e rever as relações com o meio ambiente. É necessário, portanto, reavaliar a forma como as cidades são desenvolvidas e planejadas, além de que, necessitamos, com urgência, desenvolver o senso de coletividade e empatia entre as pessoas e os povos que habitam o planeta” (p.7).
[33] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “O bombardeio incessante do imaginário não relacionado leva a um esvaziamento gradual do conteúdo emocional das imagens. As imagens são convertidas em mercadorias infinitas fabricadas para postergar o tédio; os próprios seres humanos são mercantilizados, se consumido de modo indiferente, sem ter a coragem ou mesmo a possibilidade de confrontar sua própria realidade existencial. Somos feitos para viver em um mundo de sonhos fabricados” (p.32).
[34] Passage translated by the writer into English with use of google translator. Original passage in Portuguese: “Um fator extraordinário na experiência de fechamento de espaços, criação de interiores e tatilidade é a suspensão deliberada da visão focada e concentrada. Essa questão raramente tem entrado no discurso da teoria da arquitetura, que insiste em se interessar pela visão focada e pela representação em perspectiva com intenções conscientes. [...] A visão periférica nos integra com o espaço, enquanto a visão focada nos arranca para fora do espaço, nos tornando meros espectadores” (p.12).
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