In the quest to create sustainable urban environments, a significant gap exists between what designers aspire to achieve and what they believe is feasible under current conditions. This is the key finding of a recent study published in the journal *Buildings & Cities* (translated from English), led by James Simpson from the School of Architecture and Landscape at the University of Sheffield. The research delves into the aspirations and perceived realities of built-environment designers—architects, landscape architects, and urban designers—when it comes to fostering pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) in the spaces they create.
The study surveyed 577 UK-based design practitioners, revealing a pervasive “aspiration-reality gap” across five critical domains: recycling, energy conservation, sustainable transport, food growing, and biodiversity-supportive gardening. Designers consistently expressed higher aspirations than what they deemed feasible under present institutional and project conditions. This gap was smallest for interventions that required less external coordination, such as recycling and energy conservation, and largest for those that demanded organizational or political support, like sustainable transport initiatives.
“Designers are ambitious, but they’re also realistic,” Simpson explained. “They understand the potential impact of their work on environmental behaviors, but they’re constrained by the systems in which they operate.”
The research highlights that around one-quarter of the variance in this gap is attributable to individual differences among designers, while the remainder is specific to the type of intervention. Notably, designers’ aspirations and perceived realities were strongly aligned in domains like food growing and biodiversity-supportive gardening, where they have more direct control. However, this alignment weakened in areas like sustainable transport, where outcomes are influenced by external factors.
The findings underscore the need for institutional reforms to reduce constraints and empower designers to translate their aspirations into reality. Simpson suggests three near-term priorities: embedding behavioral criteria in project briefs and approvals, moving procurement processes beyond the lowest capital cost, and streamlining pathways for high-dependency measures. Additionally, strengthening designers’ behavioral-science literacy and user-centered stewardship guidance through continuing professional development is crucial.
For the energy sector, this research offers a compelling narrative. As buildings and urban spaces become increasingly integral to energy conservation and sustainable living, the role of designers in shaping pro-environmental behaviors cannot be overstated. By narrowing the aspiration-reality gap, the energy sector can benefit from more effective, behavior-driven design solutions that reduce energy consumption and promote sustainable lifestyles.
The study also calls for a stronger evidence base, advocating for the normalization of post-occupancy evaluations and operational feedback. These data can help test perceived feasibility against delivered interventions and realized outcomes, codifying learning into repeatable guidance and specifications.
As the built environment continues to evolve, this research serves as a clarion call for systemic changes that empower designers to bridge the gap between their aspirations and the realities of sustainable design. By doing so, the industry can pave the way for low-carbon, resource-efficient lifestyles that benefit both the environment and the energy sector.