Environmental Design for the Physical–Virtual Continuum

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted daily patterns for individuals around the globe, with scholars confirming changes in the use of physical and digital spaces and technologies (Aguilar-Farias et al., 2021; Barankevich & Loebach, 2022; Bin et al., 2021). The rapid transmission of COVID demanded new ways of disconnecting from physical spaces and building virtual relationships. The shifting dynamics between virtual, physical, and hybrid interactions are not ideas that are new or unique to the pandemic (cf., Negroponte, 1995; Park & Evans, 2018; Sommer, 2002; Stokols & Montero, 2002). Yet, the COVID Era prompted heightened awareness of the interplay between physical and digital environments in connecting us to each other and facilitating our daily activities (Ottoni et al., 2022). Many behavioral patterns established over the course of the pandemic have been maintained, especially the use of digital technologies in everyday activities. These patterns will likely continue to alter our interactions with and within our physical and digital spaces.