Concurrents – Environmental Psychology: Considering Larger Users

by Sally Augustin, Ph.D. | July 1st, 2019

In this body-positive era, multiple groups that were formerly silent have developed a public voice – larger-size users are now mobilizing to make it more likely that spaces designed are comfortable places for them to be. Kim Severson, in the March 12, 2019 edition of The New York Times (“For Larger Customers, Eating Out Is Still a Daunting Experience,” https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/12/dining/larger-customers-restaurants.html), reports that, “About 40 percent of Americans over age 20 were classified as obese in a 2017 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” She also quotes Cheryl Durst, the CEO of IIDA: “’We are in a great cultural moment where people are talking about equity and inclusion, and size falls into that,’ said Cheryl Durst…Design that considers the physical attributes of the people who use a space, as well as how they use it, is fast becoming popular, she and others said…’The good news is that people …