Blog Prompt #5: The Built Environment and How It Affects Who I Am
I am a person who enjoys certain activities and many of these activities involve the built environment. Many times the things I enjoy doing are even more enjoyable or more available because of the built environment. How often would I or anybody else go for a bike ride if it always required you to ride on uneven, rough, and trecherous terrain? Maybe if you wanted to go mountain biking this would be sufficient, but for the most part this would definately deter me from riding bike as often as I currently do.
Another example that helps to clarify my position is swimming. The person I am is characterized by the fact that I enjoy swimming, but how often would I be able to enjoy this activity if there wasn't the built environment of a swimming pool and especially during cold periods or winter. While i do love to swim outdoors and in natural settings such as lakes, I know the first time I learnt how to swim it was in a pool and I also know the last time I went swimming it was in a pool due to the convenience.
The built environment lets me comfortably participate in and be involved in many different areas. Being in a setting which offers positive feedback allows myself as well as others to focus on what is currently at hand especially in learning environments such as a university which has been specifically designed around the idea that schooling should take place in the proper type of setting.