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Born in Stephen, Minnesota, in 1943, Allen studied history and archeological studies at Macalester College in St. Paul, where he received his Bachelor of Arts, before beginning his graduate studies in philosophy at the University of Michigan. In 1969, Allen moved to Edmonton, Alberta, to join the º£½ÇÉçÇø’s Department of Philosophy. He soon became a leading light in the emerging field of Environmental Aesthetics through his development of his natural environmental model of nature appreciation. According to this approach, just as knowledge of art history and art criticism is needed to reveal the aesthetic qualities of works of art, natural scientific knowledge is needed to reveal the actual aesthetic qualities of natural environments. As well as numerous articles, he was the author of Aesthetics and the Environment: The Appreciation of Nature, Art and Architecture (Routledge, 2000), Nature and Landscape: An Introduction to Environmental Aesthetics (Columbia University, 2009), and Functional Beauty, with an alumnus of this department, Glenn Parsons (Oxford, 2008). He was the editor or co-editor of three further texts, Nature, Aesthetics, and Environmentalism: From Beauty to Duty, with Sheila Lintott (Columbia University, 2008), The Aesthetics of Human Environments, with Arnold Berleant (Broadview, 2007), and The Aesthetics of Natural Environments with Arnold Berleant (Broadview, 2004).

Allen is survived by his wife, Arlene Kwasniak; two daughters, Eleanor and Ginger; and two grandchildren, Orrin and Ellis. A memorial will be held by the family at the Eden Brook Funeral Home & Cemetery in Calgary at 2:00 pm February 6, 2025, and a Celebration of Life later this year. To view and share photos, condolences, and memories of Allen, please visit