ABSTRACT
If the situation in which both monotony and over-stimulation are equally harmful is accepted at face value, the result could be an architectural style which steers straight down the via media. The basic tension within the human mind between the desire for novelty and surprise on the one hand and security and stability on the other is really the resultant of a complex interplay of subtensions. A concept of urbanism is desirable which takes some account of the various planes on which the mind simultaneously interprets environmental information. The human brain operates at least four perceptual frames of reference. In describing the urban milieu and making recommendations about its design, account must be taken of its capacity to meet intellectual and emotional needs.
