The premise of this study is that the process of restructuring environments so they achieve a better 'fit' or 'congruence' with the particular people they serve begins with the identification of environmental factors which cause the frustration, inconvenience or social isolation of people. Factors which fail to encourage exploitation of the creative potential in individuals or groups of people are similarly detrimental to good 'fit'. This practicum is a case study of families with children, and their satisfaction with, and use of, the open spaces and open space related elements in two three-storey walkup apartment complexes in Winnipeg. The study seeks to identify attitudes and patterns of use which can become the basis for a frame of reference for the design of this type of housing for residents of low to middle income. By identifying the incongruities in a residential environment, it becomes possible to examine them, and finally, to suggest implications of this new information in terms of principles of planning, design and management. Through the implementation of the results of such studies as this in design, construction and evaluation over a period of years, the cycle of research continues and new information of this kind can be fed constantly into the design process.