Judith Heerwagen of J.H. Heerwagen & Associates, Inc., in writing the Psychosocial Value of Space, has created an insightful and must-read analysis how to optimize the built environment’s design to positively affect our well-being. The article gives one pause for thought about the portents of our central planners’ mandate to develop high-density, souless communities close to rail and major traffic corridors. The science is indisputable. Chronic stress from over-crowding and noise is very bad for our brains, and it is downright dangerous to the development of our children’s brains. Building residential communities close to traffic hubs and utility services is certainly more cost efficient for local governments. But what becomes of a culture that mandates that its development schemes move in the direction of the old-zoo model.
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What “What would a building space look and feel like if it were designed to promote psychological and social well-being? How would it affect the senses, the emotions, and the mind? How would it affect behavioral patterns and sense of community? For insights, it is useful to look not at buildings, but at zoos. Zoo design has gone through a radical transformation in the past several decades. Cages have been replaced by natural habitats and geographic clustering of animals. In some places, the animals are free-ranging and the visitors are enclosed in buses or trains moving through the habitat. Animals now exist in mixed species exhibits more like their natural landscapes. And, as in nature, the animals have much greater control over their behavior. They can be on view if they want, or out of sight. They forage, play, rest, mate, and act like normal animals. 
What brought about this transformation in philosophy and design? A key factor was concern over the animals’ psychological and social well-being. Zoos could keep animals alive, but they couldn’t make them flourish. Caged animals often exhibit neurotic behaviors—pacing, repetitive motions, aggression, and withdrawal. In one famous example, an animal psychologist was hired by the Central Park Zoo to study a polar bear that spent the day swimming in endless figure 8s in its small pool. This was not normal polar bear behavior and the zoo was concerned about it. After several days of observation, the animal psychologist offered a diagnosis. The bear was bored. To compensate for this unfortunate situation, the zoo added amenities and toys to the bear’s enclosure to encourage exploration and play. Are there lessons from the zoo that we can apply to building design? The answer is clearly “yes.” Key lessons, applicable to all building types, include the following:”