An energy transition is currently taking place in many European countries. Existing studies comparing countries’ energy transition pathways are limited in scope and lack a strong theoretical foundation. This thesis addresses the lack of theoretical framework-based approaches by applying a sectoral analysis framework, identifying the main factors facilitating or hindering the sustainable energy transition in several countries, and the significant differences between them.The research focused on four countries; the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom and was limited to the residential sector of the built environment. It included the three dominant housing types: social rental; private rental; and homeownership. Data was clustered along the four dimensions of the sectoral analysis framework, identifying: (1) actors, interactions & networks; (2) the institutional or legal framework; (3) the technological framework; and (4) market demand. The same process was repeated for each of the countries, forming a detailed overview about their chosen energy transition pathways. A number of interviews were conducted to gain further insight into country-specific factors.With respect to actors, interactions and networks, this study has found that strong ties and cooperation between ministries and departments is an important factor facilitating policy success, with departmental fragmentation or competition posing a significant barrier. In terms of the institutional framework policy stability, clear targets and long-term policy framework are all factors for policy success. Conversely, frequent changes to existing policies, non-binding goals and the absence of a long-term framework are all seen as barriers for a sustainable energy transition. Looking at the technological regime, this study found countries with active support for renewable energy technologies have a higher share of renewable energy than countries where the choice of technologies is largely market-based. Past technological choices and existing energy-infrastructure were found to influence transition pathways and can be both a positive or negative factor. Lastly, with respect to market demand, the existence of a standardised housing stock was found to be a potentially significant factor for the upscaling of innovative initiatives. The existence of a large and fragmented (private) rental sector and high interest rates on financing products were found to be further barriers for the energy transition in the residential sector.This thesis has identified obstacles matching those in previous studies and introduced a number of factors facilitating policy success. It has made a first step in overcoming the lack in theoretical framework-based approaches in energy transition analysis future studies can build on.

This thesis describes how Green Infrastructure has been incorporated into the syllabi of vocational-professional courses within the planning occupation. Within this it examines the competing authorities that seek to determine how this is accomplished. what form this new knowledge takes and how it should be taught. Key drivers for change in syllabi are widely recognised: 'the market', universities as centres for innovation, professional associations as owners of a discrete body of knowledge, government as paymaster, and students as 'clients' or 'customers'. However, the relationship between these, as well as the relative power to determine authority, are undeveloped points within this understanding. Various methods were adopted, but a central part of the work is case studies on four universities teaching planning courses. These are identified as Quality University. Balance University, Process University and Industry University. Despite each having a different philosophy of approach towards the nature and provision of higher education, each is found to provide teaching forms within the same paradigm. However, students within each university interpret their learning needs separately. and there is a fissure in the understanding of teaching and learning between student and university. The research suggests that individuals are key drivers for change to syllabi. and proposes a number of ideal types: the Green Champion, the Green Infrastructure Champion, the Green Maverick, the Green Infrastructure Maverick. the Green Technocrat, the Green Antagonist. and the Green Ignorant. Champions are found to be a key driver in establishing new forms of knowledge and incorporating these into syllabi. Intellectual deviancy by individuals, identified as Mavericks, also introduces new forms of knowledge generally and Green Infrastructure specifically. However. quite where Green Infrastructure originates from is less clear. Professions also have a key role, despite their claims to be removed from the process of creating courses, but there is far less evidence on corporate university structures or the government generating change. One useful social theory to contextualise these ideas is Anthony Giddens' view of High Modernity, in which all knowledge is contingent and there is no determinant authority; rather, competing and transient authorities vie for control.

In the U.S., youth experience health problems due to inadequate eating behaviors. In terms of physical environmental factors and social environmental factors, youth encounter problems with accessing good foods, as do other age groups. The purpose of this study is to find the relationship between youths’ eating behavior, especially patterns of visiting food resources, and the availability of food resources by food type and socioeconomic background in Providence, Rhode Island. In order to test the relationship between the availability of food resources and socioeconomic situation and children’s eating behaviors, several statistical models are developed. The models are based on the multinomial logistic regression model. Students’ activity data were obtained from a survey in Teen Activity and Transportation Enterprise Project (TATE) under direction of Dr. Talia McCray from September 2006 to May 2007. The food resources location data are collected from the Providence Plan and the Yellow Pages in Rhode Island. The multinomial logistic model shows that the availability of healthy food resources within walking distance from home, frequency to visit food resources, gender, employment status, and race significantly affect access to unhealthy food resources (p < 0.05). The availability of unhealthy foods within walking distance, the number of members living in the household, the number of cars in household, students born in the U.S.A, and the father born in the U.S.A, are not significant. In terms of availability of healthy foods around the home location, number of healthy food resources matter. / text

This study assesses environmental factors in the exercise and food environment, demographic factors, physical activity behavior, and fruit and vegetable consumption in 26 rural Georgia counties. The purpose of the study is to identify environmental indicators of physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption; to see what agencies in Georgia, if any, are collecting these types of data systematically throughout the state; and, to analyze potential relationships between environmental factors and health behaviors. Physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption were derived from the Georgia Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005). Demographic data were from the U.S. Census (2000). Environmental data were collected using Reference USA. Analysis was conducted using Pearson’s correlation (one-tailed). No statistically significant associations were found between the food environment and fruit and vegetable consumption nor the exercise environment and physical activity; suggesting associations found in urban areas may not exist in rural areas. Fruit and vegetable consumption was positively associated with travel time to work (P < .05). Physical activity was positively related to travel time to work (P < .01) and education (P < .05) and negatively related to federal spending per person (P < .05). Findings should improve understanding of the relationship between the environment and physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption in rural GA. Recommendations for improved data collection and interdepartmental cooperation are made.

This research assessed correlations between funding for pedestrian facilities, presence of walkways, and daily and weekly walking trips in a sample of United States residents living in metropolitan areas. The purpose of the research was to identify factors at the policy and environmental level which are associated with a greater frequency of walking trips, and therefore may influence physical activity levels. Data from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s 2001 National Household Travel Survey and the Thunderhead Alliance’s 2007 Benchmarking Report: Bicycling and Walking in the U.S. were combined to provide variables for the number of daily and weekly walking trips, perceived lack of walkways, age, distance to work, housing unit density for each household, household income, and per capita federal and non-federal funding for pedestrian facilities for each metropolitan area. Correlation analysis and analysis of variance was conducted to test for associations with walking trip frequency and lack of walkways. The results suggested that increased walking trips were associated with increased non-federal funding but not with increased federal funding; and that increased federal funding was associated with reduced lack of walkways (but not increased non-federal funding), especially for lower-income respondents. These associations were statistically significant but not strong. Very little research has been conducted on the health effects of funding for pedestrian facilities; this research showed that more extensive study in this area is needed and that further integration of public health into transportation planning is in order.

ABSTRACT An Examination of Socio-demographic Characteristics and Perceptions of Cycling among Students at Georgia State University (Under the direction of Christine Stauber, Faculty Member) Background: Bicycling as a form of transportation is important to public health and the improvement of the environment by way of sustainable transportation. Active transportation is inversely related to all-cause mortality, obesity, and levels of ozone and greenhouse gases. University communities have been shown to bicycle more than big cities. However, downtown setting of the Georgia State University (GSU) campus poses unique barriers to bicycling. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in fall, 2009 at GSU. To determine perceptions and barriers to bicycling, the sample was divided into cyclists and non-cyclists. Chi square analysis, odds ratios, and multivariate logistic regression were used to compare the socio-demographic characteristics and perceptions surrounding bicycling between the groups. Results: The survey included 314 students; 60% female, 11.1% bicyclists, and mean age of 23. Of the socio-demographic characteristics examined, gender was the only factor significantly associated with bicycling, with males being 6.82 times more likely to cycle. Independent t-tests found that bicyclists viewed the built environment, social support, and future bicycling support more favorably than non-cyclists. Of the built environment factors, distance was the most important barrier to bicycling (OR=2.156, 95% CI= 1.484-3.133). Cyclists and non-cyclists were in agreement that bicycling was unsafe due to motor vehicle traffic, roadway conditions, and theft risk Conclusions: Overall, the findings were consistent with current knowledge about bicycling. The findings show that distance appears to be the most significant barrier to bicycling. Although safety due to roadway conditions and motor vehicle traffic and risk of bicycle theft did not produce significant results, these factors should be addressed in future studies and/or programs. Further investigation into how to alter these perceptions and create safer environments for the community would be beneficial.

The number of obese youth in Canada has tripled over the past 30 years. Two contributing factors to obesity are physical inactivity and poor nutrition. To improve these negative health behaviours, the factors that contribute to their development must be understood and intervened upon. Researchers are focusing on the built environment as one potential factor. The built environment refers to human made physical structures and infrastructure of communities that can influence health behaviours. These include the roads, buildings, parks and recreation facilities, and food retailers of which people can use through work, play, or eating. The purpose of this thesis was to determine how the built environment influences physical inactivity and fast food consumption in 11-15-year-old Canadians. Physical inactivity and fast food consumption were assessed in a national study called the Canadian Health Behaviour in School Aged Children Survey. Over 6000 youth in grades 6 to 10 were examined. Information on several built environment features were obtained in the neighbourhoods of these 6000 youth using Geographic Information Systems. Measures included walkability indices, parks and other outdoor play spaces, recreation facilities, aesthetics, and fast food restaurants. Relationships between behaviours (physical inactivity, excessive fast food consumption) and neighbourhood built environments were examined using complex statistical tests. Results indicated that youth living in highly walkable neighbourhoods, neighbourhoods with few or no cul-de-sacs, and neighbourhoods with a modest amount of park space were most likely to be physically inactive. Youth living in neighbourhoods with a moderate or high density of fast food restaurants were more likely to be excessive fast food consumers than youth living in neighbourhoods with no fast food restaurants. Approximately 15-30% of physical inactivity and excessive fast food consumption within the population was attributed to features of the neighbourhood built environment. This thesis demonstrates that several features of the neighbourhood built environment influence obesity-related health behaviours in youth. Results may guide future policy development and intervention research targeting the built environment. / Thesis (Master, Kinesiology & Health Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-08-01 22:35:22.486

With the increase in Canada’s seniors population (age 65 and over), there is a need to understand the residential requirements of this population. Almost 90 percent of seniors in Ontario reside in urban areas (Hodge 2008) and the majority live in the Greater Toronto Area. Of particular concern is the decrease in availability of informal care for aging and weakening individuals due to changes in economy and family relations. These changes are likely to result in a large influx of seniors into residential care facilities (RCFs) because not everyone is able to stay at home or is eligible to live in a long term care (LTC) facility. Seniors’ reasons for relocating as well as an analysis of their experiences after the move are required as the need for RCFs increases. Cultural and/or religious groups have become important providers of RCFs in Canada by offering necessary services for an aging population. The goal of this thesis is to analyse the importance of culture and the built environment within a push-pull framework associated with the decision to move to an RCF through a case study. The guiding question of the research is: Why do seniors choose facilities with cultural affiliations? In 2013, interviews were conducted with 15 residents, who were currently residing in a Ukrainian RCF called Ivan Franko. The results show that seniors move because of certain limitations (e.g., health, difficulty doing housework, family events, etc.). When an older person decides that they want or need to move, they will move to a facility that provides a physical and social environment while reinforcing cultural values (i.e., built environment), assuming a place is available. Acknowledging the limitations of a qualitative case study approach, the findings are important to consider as the multicultural population of the GTA and other large Canadian cities continue to age. The growing demand for places in RCFs reflects social, cultural and religious needs of a diverse older population. A challenge will exist for cultural and religious not-for-profit voluntary organizations, the for-profit sector, and governments at all levels to seek new ways to develop facilities in the future. / Thesis (Master, Geography) -- Queen's University, 2014-06-19 00:28:54.511

No description available.

Background: The high prevalence of children and adolescents not meeting the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity (PA) per day and the associated negative health consequences make it critical to increase PA. Ecological models suggest that the school environment may influence student health behaviour. However, few studies have examined the school environment in relation to student PA. Purpose: To examine between-school variability in students’ time spent in PA, and identify factors of the school built environment that account for the between-school variability in students’ time spent in PA overall as well as by gender and school location, while also considering school physical education (PE) and PA programming and controlling for student-level characteristics and potential environment-level confounders. Methods: This thesis consisted of a secondary data analysis of the School Health Action, Planning and Evaluation System (SHAPES) Ontario project, which included self-report data from administrators and 25,416 students in 76 secondary schools across Ontario. The student- and school-level survey data were supplemented with GIS-derived measures of the built environment within 1-km buffers of the 76 schools. Multilevel modeling was used to examine between-school variability in students’ time spent in PA, as well as environment-level factors associated with PA. Results: There was significant between-school variability in students’ time spent in PA overall as well as by gender and school location, respectively. Schools having another room for PA and schools offering daily PE were positively associated with students’ PA. Schools located in areas with higher land-use mix diversity and walkability were negatively associated with students’ PA. Results of the gender-specific multilevel analyses indicated schools should consider providing another room for PA, especially for offering flexibility activities directed at female students. Schools should also consider offering daily PE to male students in senior grades. Students attending schools in urban and suburban areas that provided another room for PA or were located within close proximity to a shopping mall or fast food outlet spent more time in PA. Conclusions: These findings support the ecological notion that the school environment can influence student PA behaviour. A better understanding of the relationship between the school environment and PA will assist in the development of effective school-based policies, programs and interventions to increase PA.