The Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA) is an international, interdisciplinary organization founded in 1968 by design professionals, social scientists, students, educators, and facility managers.
Purpose
The purpose of EDRA is the advancement and dissemination of
environmental design
Environmental design is the process of addressing surrounding environmental parameters when devising plans, programs, policies, buildings, or products. It seeks to create spaces that will enhance the natural, social, cultural and physical environm ...
research, thereby improving understanding of the interrelationships between people, their built and natural surroundings, and helping to create environments responsive to human needs. Along with IAPS, MERA, PaPER, and EBRA, EDRA is one of the major international associations that focuses on the field of Environmental Design Research.
EDRA Conferences
EDRA holds an annual
conference
A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject, or to bring together people who have a common interest. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always d ...
in different locations around the United States and around the world. The first annual conference was held at Chapel Hill, North Carolina on June 8–10, 1969. Most conferences are held in the United States where the EDRA membership is concentrated, but over the last 40 years, four have been held in Canada (EDRA18/1976 in Vancouver, EDRA 18/1987 in Ottawa, EDRA 28/1993 in Montreal, and EDRA 36/2005 in Vancouver), two have been held in Mexico (EDRA 22/1991 in Oaxtapec and EDRA 39/2008 in Veracruz), and one was held in Scotland (EDRA 32/2001 in Edinburgh). EDRA celebrated its 40th anniversary in Kansas City, Missouri May 27–31, 2009.
Proceedings are published as part of each conference. These include full-length refereed and invited papers, symposia, workshops, and posters.
Honors and awards
*Great Places Award (sponsored by the Journal Places, Metropolis and EDRA): An increasingly prestigious award given since 1998 for outstanding design projects in the categories of planning, design, research, and books. Past winners have included
Bryant Park
Bryant Park is a , privately managed public park in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Manhattan. It is located between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) and between 40th Street (Manhattan), 40th and 42 ...
in New York City, the
Heidelberg Project in Detroit, and
Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord in Germany.
[Places. Volume 17, Number 3
October 1, 2005.]
*EDRA Career Award: An annual award honoring a career and significant contributions in environmental design research, teaching or practice. Past award winners include
Robert Gifford,
Leanne Rivlin, and
Amos Rapoport.
*EDRA Achievement Award: An annual award recognizing an outstanding contribution to the field of environment-behavior design and research. Past winners include
William H. Whyte for the Street Life Project and
Roger Hart
Roger A. Hart (born c. 1950) is a child-rights academic, and former Professor of Psychology and Geography at the City University of New York and co-director of the Children's Environments Research Group.Cergnyc.org "Children’s Environments Resea ...
, Children's Environmental Research Group.
*EDRA Service Award: An annual award recognizing service to EDRA above and beyond the call of duty.
*EDRA Student Paper Award: Awarded for an outstanding full-length paper by a student.
*EDRA Student Design Award
*Nature & Ecology Network Sponsored Student Paper Award
Networks
There are 19 interest area networks:
*Interior Design
*Cities & Globalization
*Cultural Aspects of Design
*Communication & Environment
*International Housing Research
*Children, Youth and Environments
*Cyberspace & Digital Environments
*Active Living
*Work Environments
*POE/Programming
*Participation
*Historic Preservation
*Residential Environments
*Nature & Ecology
*Building Process Alliance
*Environment & Gerontology
*Health
*Movement in Designed Environments
*International Connections
Each active network has web page at the parent site: www.edra.org. All networks hold a network lunch meeting during the annual conference and several organize and sponsor Pre-conference Intensives or sessions during the conference.
See also
*
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...
AIA
*
American Planning Association
The American Planning Association (APA) is a professional organization representing the field of urban planning in the United States. APA was formed in 1978, when two separate professional planning organizations, the American Institute of Pla ...
APA
*
American Psychological Association
The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychologists in the United States, and the largest psychological association in the world. It has over 170,000 members, including scientists, educators, clin ...
APA
*
Children, Youth and Environments (Journal)
*
American Society of Interior Designers ASID
*
International Association of People-Environment Studies IAPS
References
External links
*
{{Design
Design institutions
Environmental psychology
Environmental organizations based in the United States