Research Policy and Review 13. Environment-Behaviour-Design Research Techniques: An Appraisal and Review of the Literature with Special Reference to Environmental and Planning-Related Information Needs in the Third World

Environment-behaviour-design research has contributed to the contextual understanding of man – environment interaction and promoted a more people-centred approach to environmental planning and design. Much of research, however, has concentrated on European and North American environments, and research techniques developed to date have not been fully assessed in the context of the Third World to stimulate an appropriate research focus and help provide much needed information on planning and designing Third World environments. In the present review, basic techniques in environmental research are explored to assess the various ways in which they may be best applied to provide a context for the growth of studies in the Third World. It is demonstrated that needed man – environment – behaviour – design information may be best derived by focusing on mundane analysis of environmental attitudes, values, and preferences of ordinary people, using a range of social survey and verbal interviews centred on surrogate stimuli environments.