Psychological and social impacts of high-rise buildings: a review of the post-occupancy evaluation literature

Rapid global urbanization has led to a construction boom in high-rise buildings, and this trend seems unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. But what are the social, psychological, and behavioral effects of living and working in high-rise environments? Researchers have only just begun to gather systematic empirical data about the positive and negative effects of high-rises for their human occupants. Many of the existing studies are limited in scope, and some provide conflicting results, so it is important to consider the body of research literature as a whole. The current review provides a broad and systematic evaluation of high-rise post-occupancy studies, in order to assess the state of our current knowledge, determine if provisional conclusions can be drawn from the existing research, and identify vital areas for future investigations. The overview suggests that certain negative psychological and social impacts have been consistently associated with high-rise environments, particularly for lower-income populations. At the same time, however, the literature provides evidence that many of these impacts can be reduced or eliminated through responsible design innovation.