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Environment and Behavior
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Spatial Behavior in San Francisco’s Plazas

The Effects of Microclimate, Other People, and Environmental Design

John Zacharias, B.A. M.A. Ph.D.

Geography, planning, and environment department at Concordia University

Ted Stathopoulos, M.E.Sc. Ph.D.

School of Graduate Studies at Concordia University

Hanqing Wu, B.Sc. M.Sc. Ph.D.

Microclimate studies at RWDI Inc.

This observational study of plaza-user behavior in San Francisco is intended first to determine whether behavior is invariant across different microclimatic regimes. Statistical behaviors in the present study are indistinguishable from those observed in a previous study, holding constant the microclimatic conditions in the two cases. Certain social behaviors are examined in relation to response to microclimatic conditions. The presence of smokers had no effect on the distribution of users and activities. However, when preferred environmental conditions were in limited supply, users accepted slightly higher levels of crowding in the preferred condition. When a threshold density of persons was reached, users opted for less ideal conditions, moving into the preferred condition when space became available. The provision of seating had no impact on use level, whereas a redesign to provide sheltered seating had a modest positive impact. In this study, environmental design had minor effects in relation to microclimate.

Key Words: open space • microclimate • spatial behavior • public space • behavior mapping

Environment and Behavior, Vol. 36, No. 5, 638-658 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/0013916503262545
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