Robert Sommer (April 26, 1929 – February 27, 2021)[1] was an internationally known Environmental Psychologist and held the position of Distinguished Professor of Psychology Emeritus at the University of California, Davis.
[2] Sommer's consulting work included the design of bicycle paths, residence halls, geriatric housing, airports, offices, prisons, farmers' markets, and other facilities.
Osmond coined the term psychedelic and also worked in mental hospitals researching social environments and how they affect recovery.
Sommer viewed Environmental Psychology as both a sub-discipline within the behavioral sciences as well as an interdisciplinary study that involves a variety of disciplines and professions.
"[8] In his best known book Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design, first published in 1969, Sommer argued that buildings should be built first for function (their usefulness to the user), not form (how they look).
As a high school student, Sommer himself experienced the difficulty of learning in a classroom where he was unable to see the blackboard due to the poor design of the room.
[9] Sommer devoted a chapter to the effect of classroom structure on learning in his book Personal Space, and also wrote many journal articles on the topic.
Robert's primary concern throughout his research was whether ‘hard architecture’ instills any sort of reform on the individual, or whether it merely perpetuates the idea of punishment.
"[16] In Street Art Sommer stated "the important question is whether painters, writers and poets are obliged to go beyond reflection to interpretation and prescription" and, in comparing street artists to those who display their work in a gallery, even goes so far as to say: "one can tell very little about the issues affecting public consciousness by examining the work of studio artists..." and "she [the new muralist] cannot afford the haughty contempt that the studio painter may feel for purchasers and patrons ...".
[16] Sommer's work has been called "valuable for drawing attention to the proliferation of a noncommercial, popular art form in the U.S.A.", however there are also some criticisms of the book.
Wayne Enstice, in his review of Street Art noted "A serious deficiency of his book is the abrasive way he chooses to treat the question"..."Do Social imperatives demand redefinition of the role of artists?"