Cultural Niche Construction as a Framework for Reorienting Human−Environment Relations.

In this paper, we argue that the theory of cultural niche construction provides a cogent and fruitful framework for studying and managing human−environment relationships, including our conceptualizations of them. We first review the development of the ideas of niche construction from evolutionary to social contexts. We then discuss how various human cognitive and affective goals are achieved through our engagement and interaction with the environment, as cognitive and affective niche construction. We extend this analysis to the built environment, as urban niche construction, and provide two examples of urban design for which niche construction provides useful theoretical and practical insights. We also discuss how different urban policy initiatives are related through the lens of cultural niche construction. This paper proposes the theory of cultural niche construction as a framework to conceptualise, model and manage human‐environment relationships towards sustainability. It illustrates how to do these with two cases of urban niche construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]