P. Hubbard, DIVERGING ATTITUDES OF PLANNERS AND THE PUBLIC - AN EXAMINATION OF ARCHITECTURAL INTERPRETATION, Journal of architectural and planning research, 14(4), 1997, pp. 317-328
Previous research has revealed important differences in architectural
evaluation between design professionals and the lay public, with such
differences commonly assumed to be the result of professional educatio
n However, few attempts have been made to determine the actual source
of such differences and there is little evidence that these are actual
ly the result of training or education. This paper summarizes the find
ings of a study which set out to investigate these issues specifically
focusing on differences in architectural interpretation between the l
ay public, planning students, and practicing planning professionals, a
group often neglected in studies of environmental aesthetics These in
terpretations were examined utilizing multiple sorting and ranking pro
cedures with the respondents asked to sort fifteen examples of contemp
orary architecture according to criteria of their own choice. The resu
lts revealed both commonalities and differences in evaluation between
the various groups, with the differences particularly pronounced betwe
en planners and the public. The results lend support to the view that
education is a key factor in the acquisition of aesthetic values and a
lso suggest that training encourages homogeneity of aesthetic tastes T
his study thus corroborates and expands the findings of studies by oth
er researchers by suggesting that there are significant relationships
between expertise, attitude, and interpretation which may have importa
nt implications for planning practice.