Erik Darden Portfolio

Future Research Direction

Built Environment, Mobility, and Health Equity

My research interests sit at the intersection of the built environment and public health, with a focus on how spatial design influences physical, mental, and social well-being. Rather than concentrating on a single mode of transport or infrastructure type, I am interested in how environmental structure shapes opportunity, exposure, and lived experience.

Core Orientation

I am particularly interested in:

  • Accessibility as a determinant of health
  • Mobility and daily activity spaces
  • Environmental stressors (safety, traffic, segregation, infrastructure gaps)
  • Equity in spatial resource distribution
  • How planning decisions translate into measurable health outcomes
  • Placemaking and the relationship between health and third spaces

Research Philosophy

I approach built environment and health through three lenses:

  1. Spatial Structure – How environments are organized (networks, land use, density)
  2. Experience – How people perceive and navigate these environments
  3. Equity – Who benefits, who is burdened, and why

Methodological Identity

My work integrates spatial analytics, systems thinking, and grounded community engagement to examine how the built environment shapes health outcomes.

I draw from five complementary methodological approaches:

1. Spatial & Quantitative Analysis

  • GIS-based accessibility modeling
  • Exposure assessment and spatial inequity analysis
  • Statistical modeling of built environment–health relationships

2. Diagrammatic & Systems Representation

  • Systems mapping of environmental and behavioral feedback loops
  • Visual modeling to clarify relationships between infrastructure, policy, and health outcomes
  • Vision-based urban design diagramming to model alternative infrastructure futures

3. Policy Analysis & Institutional Critique

  • Evaluation of planning and transport policy frameworks
  • Identification of structural barriers embedded in infrastructure decision-making
  • Critical assessment of how equity is operationalized (or not) in practice

4. Mixed-Methods & Perception-Based Research

  • Survey integration with spatial modeling
  • Participatory mapping
  • Analysis of perceived versus modeled accessibility

5. Community-Engaged Research

  • Field-based observation and environmental audits
  • Direct engagement with residents and stakeholders
  • Translating analytical findings into locally relevant design or policy strategie