Debrief

I would like to thank you for participating in this research which forms part of my MSc Sustainability Science diploma project at the University of Gävle. In the following paragraphs, you can read more about this research project, its background and future research possibilities as well as the researchers' contacts in case anything goes wrong.

What is the purpose of the project?

The purpose of this project is to explore how physical environments can better support human potential and positive change. Our objectives are to:

Uncover Relationships: Investigate how physical spaces and humans affect each other and identify the patterns of relationships that create conditions for mutual transformation.

Inform Practices: Develop insights for individuals, architects, urban planners, educators, and community developers on how to design spaces that facilitate personal and collective development.

Contribute to Sustainability Science: Integrate findings from environmental psychology, transformative learning theory, and spatial design to create an actionable framework for co-evolving towards purposeful, fulfilling, and sustainable futures.

Signposting

The relationship between our surroundings and our development as humans is not merely an academic question but a lived experience that shapes who we become. Understanding how spaces influence us—and how we in turn shape our physical environments—offers profound insights into sustainable living and human flourishing. The concept of "transformative spaces" invites us to consider how our physical environments might serve as catalysts for personal growth, community connection, and ecological behaviour.

To further explore these ideas, consider observing more intentionally how different physical spaces affect your mood, thinking patterns, and behaviors. Notice which physical environments help you feel most alive, creative, and connected. The IDG (Inner Development Goals) framework at innerdevelopmentgoals.org provides an interesting lens through which to understand the capacities we need to develop for sustainable futures. The Theory U methodology at u-school.org offers an actionable process for engaging with and implementing transformation. Reflecting on how spaces might support these capacities and processes can deepen your awareness of the built environment's potential.

This journey toward more conscious relationships with our surroundings is not about perfect design but about creating conditions where humans and spaces can evolve together in life-affirming ways, supporting sustainable living practices that emerge from deeper connections rather than external rules alone.

Future Research

As we face increasingly complex global challenges, the interplay between our inner development and the physical spaces we inhabit offers a promising yet underexplored pathway toward sustainable futures. Future research could investigate how digital spaces interact with physical environments to shape our experiences and developmental trajectories. The emergence of immersive technologies raises intriguing questions about embodiment, presence, and connection in hybrid physical-digital environments.

Additionally, as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in our daily lives, the importance of physical spaces that support distinctly human capacities grows more crucial. Physical environments that engage our full sensory spectrum and embodied intelligence—capacities that AI cannot replicate—will be essential for maintaining and developing our uniquely human attributes. Spaces that intentionally counterbalance digital immersion by cultivating presence, creativity, and interpersonal connection represent a vital counterpoint to AI-mediated experience, ensuring we continue to practice, express, and live our full human potential.

By continuing to investigate the subtle yet profound ways physical spaces and humans co-evolve, we contribute to a more integrated understanding of sustainability that honors both ecological limits and human potential. This research invites us to reimagine our relationship with our surrounding physical environments not as separate from us but as an extension of ourselves and other living systems—where conscious design becomes a practice of care for both planetary health and human flourishing.

What if I have further questions or if something goes wrong?

If you have any further questions, or this project has harmed you in any way, or if you wish to make a complaint about the conduct of the project you can contact the researcher using the details below for further advice and information:

Milán Páczai (paczaimilan@gmail.com)

Or you can contact the dissertation leader:

Karl Samuelsson (karl.samuelsson@hig.se)