Chris Costello—ENG4102c

Chris Costello
Donna Laquidara
ENG 4102—Critical Writing Workshop
12/5/00

The Impact of Poor Environmental Design
on the Human Psyche (page 5)

Summary and Conclusion
We can now see that over the past fifty years, much of America’s man-made landscape has been radically transformed into an ugly and repulsive environment because many modern day developers have ignored successful design ideals of the past. Primarily concerned with profits, they show little concern for creating aesthetic value or molding community in our living spaces. Many of the buildings we see every day use jarring design motifs and colors that shock the senses and contribute to a personal anxiety that is evident by our continual need for vacations. America was, at one time, a beautiful place where architects had great concern for incorporating natural design with man-made elements to create a sense of harmony, balance and peace. However, the cold, Modernist design trends of postwar socialist Europe prompted America to embrace the International Style which evolved into an excuse for bad architecture and poor urban planning. This excuse proliferated and commercial developers filled the nation with dull and dissonant places. The ensuing congestion and pace of life caused by these places have resulted in the neurotic social behavior of it inhabitants and we are now a culture of anxious, unsatisfied people looking for a way out. Many live in uninspiring and boring environments and have admittedly become uninspired and boring themselves.

Recognizing the need to adapt our thinking to ever changing times, we obviously cannot live in the past. However the answer is not found in destroying the past and all that was learned to make room for the new. There must be a balance. The issues involved with urban development, economics and esthetics must be addressed at the same time so that society can advance at a sane pace. Education in the arts must be stressed for everyone, especially society’s decision makers who will be responsible for having the intelligence and influence to implement these ideals. As they guide us through the next millennium, they must encourage the creation of desirable environments and culturally rich communities through sound developmental practices. In so doing, we will not merely be able to tolerate existence but actually experience a life full of vitality and well-being.

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