Prosocial Behavior: Designing for Compassion is a paper I wrote for BHDP detailing how workplaces could design their social and physical environment to enable our better selves. When individuals are in an environment that is designed to support the full spectrum of fundamental human needs (beyond Maslow's hierarchy) they are more likely to act altruistically. In the workplace, this translates into the essence of positive work cultures. Pro-social behaviors increase employee retention rates, positively impact the bottom line and improve the long term outlook. 

​

Much research, brainstorming and mindmapping went into this final beast. I looked into many diverse research sources--from the basics of compassion at work to park design to neighborhood design. After all of that reading (and over 50 citations), it became clear that design could make people kinder, through satisfying the need for restoration, the need for nature and the need for belonging.