ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the differing understandings and evaluations of urban residential environments by diverse groups of people, depending on their relationships to those environments. The roles of such variables as meaning, familiarity, involvement, identity, motivation, and level of education are considered, with references to Amos Rapoport’s theories on system of settings/activities, choice model of design, and mnemonic meanings of the built environment. Thus, a general framework that addresses the relevance of the problem with respect to environment–behavior relations is accompanied by an examination of relevant research to discuss reasons for the differences between groups and how those may be reflected in urban environments, especially in developing countries, such as Turkey. The chapter concludes with a brief overview of how the environment–behavior outlook has been enriched by Rapoport’s legacy.
