The Journal of College & University Student Housing Vol. 47 No. 1 - 39

Place Identity and Student Flourishing

human beings by being adaptable, customizable, and capable of being used in a variety of
ways. In addition to simply providing a more
pleasant, humane place for students to reside,
there is also the potential for multiple psychological benefits. Second, beyond advocating for
the design of customizable new buildings, it
is also important to support more positive, effective use of existing physical space. Students
benefit psychologically from having a personalized place on campus. Thus, residence life
staff, advisors, and counseling services should
find ways to encourage students to adapt their
own housing, and policies should provide
them with the freedom to customize their
existing environments. To be able to create a
space of their own, students need to have the
permission, the capacity, and the motivation
to personalize their environment. Promoting
this behavior can be accomplished by giving
them greater access to the necessary resources
(e.g., coupons/discounts for posters and decorations at the campus book store), offering
additional incentives to think and care about
their space (e.g., a contest for most creatively
designed room), or establishing explicit norms
for self-expression in the building at large (e.g.,

. . . residence life staff, advisors,
and counseling services should find
ways to encourage students to adapt
their own housing, and policies
should provide students with the
freedom to customize their existing
environments.

collectively customizing communal areas and
hallways). In this way, students can feel empowered to more easily see themselves in the
places they live.

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Journal of College & University Student Housing Vol. 47 No. 1

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