Post-occupancy evaluation - where are you?

This paper provides a historical context for the Probe studies reported in this special issue by describing the stalled development of post-occupancy evaluation (POE) in Britain since the 1960s. It charts 40 years of continuing academic, professional and commercial neglect of POE as a mainstream activity in the procurement of buildings in Britain. It notes the current resurgence of interest in the "customer care" focus of the Egan Report. And it closes by identifying a re-emerging research agenda for POE in Britain. This could include its use for benchmarking progress in the transition towards more sustainable production and consumption of the built environment.