This thesis is a proposal on how architects and designers can begin to rethink our role in providing for the health, safety and welfare of the general population- with an emphasis on health- specifically in existing suburbias. Changes can be made to take existing unhealthy environments to transform them into healthy, inclusive places that different types of people can genuinely enjoy living in.
The differences in what we know now vs. what was known back when most subrubs were originally planned are drastic. Our knowledge and understanding of the consequences of certain design decisions are understood, so why haven't American suburbs adapted to address the health issues we have created for ourselves? My thesis is an attempt to answer the question of how suburbs can be changed (/evolved) to encourage socially, environmentally, personally healthy environments. As a future architect who is planning to dedicate my career to protecting the health, safety and welfare of the general public, I feel inclined to address the issue of rampant unhealthy lifestyles in the suburbs. Design movements such as Congress for New Urbanism and Smart Growth have laid the ground work for proposals found in this thesis. The largest criticisms of those movements are that they an be seen as forceful attempts to control peoples' lifestyles. My intention is not to trick or force people to live a certain way through design. My intention is to present options for healthier lifestyles for current suburbanites to benefit from. I aim to be very sensitive to the cultural differences of those who live in certain areas and to respect and preserve the successes of existing suburbs. / Master of Architecture / This thesis is a proposal on how architects and designers can begin to rethink our role in the development and design of the built environment to protect the health, safety and welfare of the general public. According to a statement issued by the American Institute of Architects, “the consensus in the health profession is that the health and wellness of the population has been dramatically degraded by the built environment”¹. Changes can be made to take existing “unhealthy environments” and transform them into healthy, inclusive places that different types of people can genuinely enjoy living in. This thesis is an exploration of one of many ways that goal can be accomplished.
The differences in what we know now vs. what was known back when most suburbs were originally planned are drastic. Our knowledge and understanding of the consequences of certain design decisions are better understood today, so why haven’t American suburbs evolved to address the health issues we have created for ourselves? This thesis is an attempt to answer the question of how suburbs can be intervened in to encourage socially and environmentally healthy lifestyles, as well as improve public health. Design movements such as Congress for New Urbanism and Smart Growth have laid the groundwork for proposals found in this thesis. The largest criticisms of those movements are that they can be seen as forceful attempts to control peoples’ lifestyles. The intentions of the proposals made in this thesis are not to “trick” or “force” people to live a certain way through design. The intention is to offer residents the option to make healthy lifestyle changes if they wish; by intervening in areas where previous design has virtually prevented the opportunity for healthy lifestyles. The proposals made in this thesis aim to be very sensitive to the cultural differences of those who live in certain areas and to respect and preserve the successes of existing suburbs.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/84533 |
| Date | 09 August 2018 |
| Creators | McNeil, Jasmine Alethia |
| Contributors | Architecture, Piedmont-Palladino, Susan C., Kelsch, Paul J., Archer, Scott Brandon |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | ETD, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
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