Updated Proposal Outline

Introduction/ Abstract

Research will be carry out in 2 phases:

• Understanding the relationship between people and architecture, to determine the core of social issues -- mentality, behavior and practice of people living in the city.
• With architectural approach, study and determine solutions to encounter the issues, in order to eliminate the negative social practices -- that limits interactions, and promote the importance of social ties among people in the city.

Chapter 1: From Psychology to Sociology -- Understanding of Social Community

An overview of people living in the city today. Resonate with the findings that social isolation and self-centeredness are becoming social norms in public community. 

• Exploration on the existing conditions by carrying out observation in the general public spaces within urban areas, inclusive of residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, and industrial areas respectively, as a platform for future studies of social community behavior. 
• Understanding from the sociological perspective of human bond among people and relationship between community with architecture.
• Realization on the parallel influence of public architecture towards individual psychology, resulting in social structure formation -- human senses and architecture, architecture and experience.

*Questionnaire surveys of individual perspective towards social relation to be carry out to support the analysis. 

Raising of issues: Does self-protection awareness heighten being in public spaces? Whether of public observability, sense of crisis, social influence, or of the virtual instruction by surrounding environment?

• Structure findings to categorize analysis. Establish the existence of issues in relation with hypothesis. 
• Resonate the negative long-term effects of these issues towards a community. 
• Is architecture the cause or the solution? Research to be carry out in architectural approach, of ways to promote social reformation.

Chapter 2:  How to Relieve People? -- Elimination of Uncertainty and Fear

Uncountable architecture and planning of this century are designed upon fear, in order to fulfill human desperation of protection and security. It has then leads to expansion of uncertainty and tension among community.

• Study on the criticism of modern architecture, how does modern urban development fails by increasing social segregation, build walls between people and leads to social isolation.

         [ Case study: Pruitt-Igoe housing projects by Minoru Yamasaki ] 

• Architectural planning that causes alienation should no longer be promoted. Research on how should this approach be eliminate supported by case studies that sustain the ideology.

When an individual issue is practiced by thousands of people, it became a social issue. The formation of social structure or social hierarchy has consequences on one's attitude and behavior, thus leads to social separation.

• Effects of horizontal and vertical social structure. Social inequality causes individual inferiority and conscious prevention towards a diverse class of people. Has architecture became a medium for classification and detachment? 
• Comparison of social effects in the urban area and the less developed township.

Chapter 3: Attention Gatherer -- Encourages Curiosity

History is the fundamental basis of community. Whether a city owns an identity, a story to tell its people, architecture has an essential obligation in this aspect. 

• What raises curiosity? Was it the nostalgic elements of architecture of a city? 
• The importance of heritage building in bringing people together as a community, with its historical meanings and stories, and it's ability to open up platforms for conversations and understanding.

         [ Case study: Architecture in Penang ] 

Psychologically, people care for reactions more than the content of a conversations. What can architecture do in response to the above statement? Could it be a medium in encouraging  reactions from the user?

• Abilities of sensible architecture appears to be a platform in promoting interactions. 
• Does architecture affect human senses and promote social experience?  

         [ Case study: Phenomenology of Architecture ]

Chapter 4: The importance of Participatory Design -- Motivates Involvement

Similarly mentioned in the previous chapter, public spaces should reflect the purpose and culture of its neighborhood. Participation of people within the city are crucial to enable a stronger bond between the community, and the place they are living in. 

• Social Bond Theory: Instillation values of attachment, commitment, involvement and beliefs (in promoting the sense of community and weakens the tendency of criminal actions) 

        [ Case study: Architecture promoting participatory design ]

• Community who has a strong emotional connection towards it's city tend to be more socially united. 

         [ Case study: Gothic Architecture | Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong ] 

Chapter 5: Reverse Restoration -- Promotes Openness

Architecture means to improve living quality of people and encourage positive interactions, however, the initial aim has been partially diverted. What can architecture do to regenerate the initial aim?

• In terms of architectural planning and form of spaces, could openness encourage security; while wider space enhance intimacy? 
• Transformation of instilled mentality and reflects towards community practices

Chapter 6: Pathway to Interactions -- Improves Accessibility

• In terms of public amenities and facilities
• Encourages architecture as infrastructure for socialization

Conclusion: Reconstructing City for the People --- Towards a Genial Society 

*Note: All case studies are subject to change if inappropriate.

Research Project Proposal

Hypothesis

Architecture is a force to control human behavior, with appropriate planning it formulate users to perform in a definite way, consciously or unconsciously. Believing architecture could then also be able to eliminate the negative performances such as crimes, strangeness and pressure, if not for a personal gain, encourages conversations, interactions and positivity in the 'contemporary' society.

Aim & Objective

• To study and understand the positive and negative influence stimulated by contemporary architecture and public spaces towards human behavior
• To investigate whether the root of urban social issues in induced by mis-conceptual of architectural planning
• To find out method and solutions towards the issues, if exist, in terms of architecture, to ease and resolves the critical relationship among the current social community
• To examine the role of public architecture as a catalyst, in strengthening the bond of human relationship as a community.

Rationale

Today's society has successfully grown to diversity in terms of developments and technologies, however, there's something that gone to reverse growth -- the relationship among peoples, and their living. Have we communicate less? Are we being passive in interacting with others in public? Are people in today's society more self-centered? In the end, what is the future of the development if the non-living (architecture technology) is being fast-growing, but the beauty of the relationship among people varnishes?

Architecture has made up a big part of our lives, whether of the space, planning of town, or the environment, we don’t live any moment without being in the world of architecture. We made space, and then space made us. By any means, architecture could possibly be the remedy to the issues, providing us a more genial social community in the future.

Research Report Outline

Introduction/ Abstract

Mix-Development has been highly populated in our generation, the culture of integrated usage practices wasn't born today, it has rooted within the community of people since historical age, and it's influences is believed to uphold till many future generations. The evolving civilization of mix-developments has transform people's living in many ways, from improving lifestyle quality to misdirection leading, it's influence and social responsibility is crucial in ameliorating the community of people.

Research will be carry out in 2 phases:

• Understanding the relationship between people and architecture, to determine the core of social issues -- mentality, behavior and practice of people living in the mix-developed city.
• With architectural approach, study and determine solutions to encounter the issues, in order to eliminate the negative social practices -- that limits interactions, and promote the importance of social ties among people in the city.

Chapter 1: From Psychology to Sociology -- Understanding of Social Community

• An overview of people living in the city today. Resonate with the findings that social isolation and self-centeredness are becoming social norms in public community.
• Does self-protection awareness heighten being in public spaces? Whether of public observability, sense of crisis, social influence, or of the virtual instruction by surrounding environment?

Following chapters to be written with strategies to tackle the issues mentioned:

Promotes Openness 

• In terms of cities planning and form of spaces
• Instilled mentality and reflects towards community practices

Encourages Curiosity

• Open up platforms for conversations and responses
• Create opportunity and possibilities

Improves Accessibility

• In terms of public amenities and facilities
• Encourages architecture as infrastructure for socialization

Elimination of Uncertainty and Fear

• Spaces should reflect the purpose and culture of the neighborhood
• Social Bond Theory: Instillation values of attachment, commitment, involvement and beliefs (in promoting the sense of community and weakens the tendency of criminal actions) 

Conclusion: Reconstructing City for the People --- Towards a Genial Society