The New Republic: We’re all bad neighbors now
UC proxemics expert Vikas Mehta speaks to the redefining of personal space
Vikas Mehta, on faculty at UC's School of Design, was interviewed by The New Republic to weigh in on the changing dynamic of personal and public spaces.
According to the article, a 2021 study, conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital with just 19 participants, who were tested before and during the pandemic. The study found that the subjects’ perception of their personal space expanded by 40 to 50 percent on average in response to these public health measures. What was once a roughly three-foot-wide bubble growing, by the second assessment, to about 4.1 feet around.
Data on noise complaints rising over the last decade also indicates that people are more easily ruffled by intrusions into their space.
The radii of our personal circles “are not static,” says Mehta, a professor of urbanism in the College of Design, Architechture, Art and Planning.
The article discusses how extending the boundaries of personal space has spilled over to public spaces such as sidewalks and subways and could be contributing to violent behavior.
Featured photo at top courtesy of Unsplash/Ryoji Iwata
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