Psychological and social impacts of high-rise buildings: a review of the post-occupancy evaluation literature

Abstract

Rapid global urbanization has led to a construction boom in high-rise buildings, and this trend seems unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. But what are the social, psychological, and behavioral effects of living and working in high-rise environments? Researchers have only just begun to gather systematic empirical data about the positive and negative effects of high-rises for their human occupants. Many of the existing studies are limited in scope, and some provide conflicting results, so it is important to consider the body of research literature as a whole. The current review provides a broad and systematic evaluation of high-rise post-occupancy studies, in order to assess the state of our current knowledge, determine if provisional conclusions can be drawn from the existing research, and identify vital areas for future investigations. The overview suggests that certain negative psychological and social impacts have been consistently associated with high-rise environments, particularly for lower-income populations. At the same time, however, the literature provides evidence that many of these impacts can be reduced or eliminated through responsible design innovation.

Keywords:

• High-rise building
• post-occupancy evaluation
• psychology
• mental health
• stress

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Saleh Kalantari is an assistant professor in Cornell University’s Department of Design and Environmental Analysis. He is the director of the Design and Augmented Intelligence Lab (DAIL) at Cornell, where his research group investigates human–technology partnerships in the design process, and the resulting opportunities for innovation and creativity. He takes an interdisciplinary approach to develop innovative AI-aided design tools using biometric sensory data to more effectively understand human responses to architectural intervention during the design process. Dr. Kalantari has previously taught at the University of Houston and Washington State University. He has also consulted for various firms and organizations such as Naghsh Khiyal Pars and Parkin Architects.

Mardelle McCuskey Shepley is a professor and chair of the Department of Design and Environmental Analysis and associate director of the Institute for Healthy Futures at Cornell University. She serves on the graduate faculty in the Cornell University Department of Architecture. A registered architect, she has LEED AP and EDAC credentials. Dr. Shepley has authored/co-authored six books, including Healthcare Environments for Children and their Families (1998), Design for Critical Care (2009), Health Facility Evaluation for Design Practitioners (2010), Design for Pediatric and Neonatal Critical Care (2014) and Design for Mental and Behavioral Health (2017). Dr. Shepley has worked full and part-time in professional practice for 25 years.