September 7, 2015

by Canadian Architect

psychology on the street

This opening party, gallery show and book launch for Psychology on the Street takes place at the Urban Space Gallery in Toronto on September 19, 2015 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm.

This exhibition is curated by Colin Ellard and the Urban Realities Laboratory at the University of Waterloo, and examines the city through the lens of a vastly complicated network of human interactions—between individuals, groups, and the physical design of city spaces. Understanding how this network functions, and how urban design influences human health, well-being, and happiness can help make better cities. Dr. Ellard’s team specializes in measuring the relationships between human behaviour and urban design using a unique approach: rather than using the traditional methods of experimental psychology, they measure urban behaviour where it actually happens—out on the street.

You don’t need to be a psychologist to know that your surroundings affect how you feel and what you think about. But how exactly do these effects arise? Why does a tranquil urban park make us feel good and how does it change the way that we pay attention to things? How does the dizzying complexity of a major intersection, filled with people, noise, lights, and signs, affect our mood and our stress levels? This exhibition examines these questions, giving visitors a chance to learn more about the psychological effects of urban environments.

The event will also mark the launch of Dr. Ellard’s new book Places of the Heart: The Psychogeography of Everyday Life, which describes the relationships between the settings of our lives and our emotional states. At the launch event, you can meet Dr. Ellard and his students and take part in some fun demonstrations of the tools of urban psychogeography including immersive virtual reality demonstrations, measurement of bodily stress levels, eye movements, and brain waves.

Light refreshments will be served.

For more information, please visit http://www.psychologyonthestreet.com/urban-life/.

Attendance is free, but please RSVP at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/psychology-on-the-street-opening-event-and-book-launch-tickets-17935841585.