Environmental Evaluation
Perception and Public Policy

Thsi book describes ways of evaluating environments; based on users' perceptions and experiences.

Ervin H. Zube (Author)

9780521319720, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 27 July 1984

164 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 1 cm, 0.25 kg

' … sets out successfully to provide an introduction to user-based environmental evaluation …' Journal of Environmental Psychology

How can the quality of environments be evaluated? This book describes ways of assessing the perceptions and experiences of the users so that planners, designers, and managers may take them into account. Ervin Zube first presents the problem of environmental evaluation in the context of public policies promulgated for the planning, design, and management of urban, rural, and wild environments in North America. After a brief history of US environmental policy, he goes on to consider the differences between policy mandates for evaluation and the actual conduct of evaluation studies. He identifies three stages as important for assessment: the 'inventory', or evaluation of existing environments; consideration of alternatives, or evaluation of possible future environments; and, after the plan is implemented, the design or management programme, or evaluation of the modified environment. He illustrates his points with reference to actual evaluations of environments from housing projects to Niagara Falls, at each of these stages, considering each case study in the relevant policy context. Applied behavioural and social scientists and all those in the planning and design and management professions will find this a useful text.

1. Evaluating environments
2. Setting policy
3. The policy/practice gap
4. The planning/design process
5. Evaluating existing environments
6. Evaluating alternative futures
7. Postconstruction evaluation
8. Postscript
References
Index.

Subject Areas: Psychology [JM]