Public Space & Scrutiny: Examining Monuments through Social Psychology

With fewer than 1 in 5 new architects identifying as a racial or ethnic minority, the field of architecture has some catching up to do in order to reflect the public for whom urban spaces are designed.1 This project proposes a study of existing public spaces, monuments, and memorials through the lens of social psychology, in order to establish a broader frame of reference for future design. We are employing an interdisciplinary approach to investigate community members’ reactions (e.g., stress, positive/negative associations, value judgments, perceptions of bias, inclusion, empowerment) to experiencing public spaces and monuments that memorialize contentious historical figures and events. Using a community-based participatory action approach (e.g., focus groups, survey study), we will identify elements of design (e.g., scale, materiality, abstraction, figuration, symbolism, color) that contribute to the general public’s perceptions of public spaces and monuments. Data gleaned from the first phase of the research will generate the framework for the second phase of applied research, conducted through an advanced architecture design/ build studio. Using a data-driven, community-informed strategy, the design/build studio will collaborate with the research team and community partners to explore proposals that work to bridge the gap between the architects and the general public when creating urban spaces marked by racial injustice.

https://doi.org/10.35483/ACSA.AIA.Inter.21.16

Volume Editors
Rico Quirindongo & Georgeen Theodore

ISBN
978-1-944214-39-5