Abstract
The flâneur is, as Baudelaire asserted, someone who walks the city in order to experience it (Benjamin, 1983, 50). It seems highly appropriate to begin this appreciation of Gabriel Moser’s work by reference to Baudelaire’s observations on the flâneur because they reflect some of the essential qualities that made Gabriel the environmental psychologist he was, not least of which his way of being in the world and his passions. Those who spent time with Gabriel walking through any city was aware that they were in the presence of an environmental psychologist who was fascinated by the world around him, alert to the minutiae of the street scene and everyday life, and always observing, interpreting and trying to make sense out of what he experienced. I write ‘experienced’, because Gabriel’s appreciation was multi-modal, and not limited to just what he could see. In this essay, I want to talk about Gabriel Moser as a flâneur drawing on three slightly different interpretations of the concept. I also want to embed the life and work of Gabriel Moser into the historical and cultural context of Paris. Paris was very important to Gabriel for his work, for his relationships and the way he was in the world.