ABSTRACT
All buildings and infrastructure are created using cognitive structures, individual and group behaviour, and social conventions and rules that are transmitted across generations. The construction of buildings, neighbourhoods, and cities is a cultural act. Given that threats of drought, famine, floods, and landslides have never been fully controlled by scientific knowledge or technological innovation, symbolic culture traits are still used in contemporary societies to alleviate anxieties about these kinds of threats. These societal conditions have changed planning and constructing built environments from interventions for innovation and radical change, to technocratic procedures for piecemeal, incremental change. In contrast, built environment practitioners can contribute creatively to maintaining or challenging the status quo, and promoting health and well-being. This chapter presents core ideas and principles applied over several generations to interpret relationships between built environments and nature.
