The aim of this diploma thesis is to find out whether the residents of family houses districts are satisfied with the current stage of built environment and usage of public spaces. Three focus districts were areas with family houses situated in the Prague metropolitan region (Hanspaulka, Starý Spořilov, Satalice) and eleven territorial public spaces were under examination. The research had three stages. Field mapping focused on the current stage of built environment of public spaces in focus districts. Structured observation, as the following stage, revealed the usage of those public spaces. Through the stage of semi-structured interviews, was answered the question about, how satisfied are the residents with the public spaces and if they have any changes or suggestions in order to improve those.

Muitas vezes, o setor da construção civil brasileira sofre com a falta de formalização dos processos necessários às fases de concepção, construção, operação e manutenção de um empreendimento. Entretanto, a gestão eficiente da informação relacionada ao ambiente construído pode contribuir para o aprendizado quanto às experiências pregressas. Isso é importante, pois se espera que os resultados de diagnósticos, quanto ao desempenho de um edifício em uso, possam orientar revisões quanto às orientações para projeto futuros. A presente tese objetiva propor um modelo metodológico de gestão para os edifícios de tipologia padronizada, existentes e futuros. No caso de edificações de tipologia semelhante, essa abordagem permite melhorar de modo contínuo o desempenho de edificações, pelo aprimoramento das diretrizes para especificações. Considerando estes aspectos, Avaliações Pós-Ocupação (APOs) foram aplicadas a escolas públicas paulistas, voltadas ao ensino fundamental e médio, no período entre 2008 e 2011. Com base na análise dos resultados obtidos, foi verificada a pertinência quanto à revisão das orientações de projeto e dos procedimentos de manutenção. Visto que estas edificações compartilham de programas de necessidades e de especificações para componentes e sistemas construtivos, verificou-se ser oportuno formalizar um processo para a gestão do conhecimento. Deste modo, pode-se embasar a comunicação das informações relacionadas a uma edificação, de forma estruturada e acessível, para os atores envolvidos nos processos de construção e de gerenciamento do edifício. O presente estudo apresenta proposições, quanto à revisão de processos e discute os recursos tecnológicos necessários para que o desempenho aferido das edificações sob a gestão de uma mesma organização seja eficientemente documentado, a fim de possibilitar, inclusive, a comparação entre os edifícios. Nesse contexto, aspectos da gestão do conhecimento são aventados, ao longo do ciclo de vida da edificação, com o objetivo de melhorar seus níveis de usabilidade, bem como manter a vida útil prevista em projeto para seus componentes e sistemas construtivos, visando à promoção da qualidade no ambiente construído. / The Brazilian construction industry is often affected by the lack of formalization for the design, construction, operation and maintenance processes. However, the efficient information management can improve the sharing of lessons learned from previous results regarding building performance. This is important, because it is expected that this information is used for reviewing new construction requirements. In the case of similar buildings, this approach allows improving the built environment performance, by continuously reviewing the design guidelines. Considering these aspects, Post-Occupancy Evaluations (POEs) were applied to São Paulo public educational facilities, in the period between 2008 and 2011. From these results analysis, the design guidelines and maintenance procedures review was considered relevant. Once these buildings are standardized and share functional programming and specifications for building systems and components, it was considered appropriate to formalize a process for the information management. Therefore, the information related to a building can be managed in a structured manner, accessible for the players engaged in the building design and facility management. This research shows an approach regarding the knowledge management and discusses the technological resources required for the performance of buildings assessed under the management of one organization, in order to be efficiently documented. These procedures also aim to promote the built environment quality in the built environment, by enabling comparisons between similar buildings, in order to improve their usability and maintainability levels, throughout the expected service life of the building components and construction systems.

É esperado que edifícios escolares públicos ofereçam ambientes destinados ao ensino-aprendizagem de qualidade. Entretanto, seu adequado desempenho ambiental depende tanto do planejamento, do projeto e da execução, quanto dos padrões de uso e dos procedimentos de operação e manutenção. As escolas públicas paulistas de ensino fundamental e médio foram alvo de um processo de padronização que envolveu os programas de necessidade, componentes e sistemas construtivos de seus edifícios. No entanto, para a elaboração dessas diretrizes, não foi considerado um processo sistemático de melhoria contínua que levasse em conta os resultados pregressos, obtidos por meio das avaliações das condições de uso das edificações existentes. Esta pesquisa avalia o desempenho de três escolas ocupadas há mais de um ano, as quais foram projetadas e construídas segundo as diretrizes para o projeto e a execução de escolas vigente, a partir de 2003, na rede pública estadual paulista. Para tal, foram aplicados múltiplos métodos de Avaliação Pós-Ocupação [APO], a fim de obter, de modo sistemático, informações dos ambientes construídos durante seu uso, bem como aferir a opinião dos usuários. Dentre os métodos e técnicas adotados, foram considerados: walkthroughs, checklists, medições de conforto ambiental, entrevistas com pessoas-chave, grupos focais e questionários aplicados a usuários. Os resultados subsidiam a discussão referente ao impacto das decisões tomadas em projeto e ao longo do uso nos edifícios escolares estaduais paulistas, destacando eventuais aspectos críticos e oportunidades para a revisão das diretrizes de projeto destas edificações, de modo a aprimorar a qualidade dos ambientes de ensino-aprendizagem e a preservar o período de vida útil previsto em projeto. / Public school buildings are expected to provide quality spaces for learning. However, their environmental quality depends on the design, use patterns and regular operation procedures. The São Paulo public elementary and high schools were the subject of a standardization process, which involved: the architectural programming, the components and the construction systems. Notwithstanding, the guidelines presented were limited to the design and construction phases and do not address issues regarding the delivery, the operation and the maintenance of the building. This research discusses the impacts of the design issues for three learning facilities in use and its consequences. The methods adopted involved the implementation of Post- Occupancy Evaluations (POEs) which included: walkthroughs, environmental comfort measurements, interviews with key people, focus group, surveys and questionnaires applied to users. A qualitative and quantitative analysis was conducted from the results obtained, regarding the functional impacts caused by the use conditions in these built environments. The findings aims to present information on understanding of the effects of the impact of the design and use decisions to applied to the public school system of São Paulo State, highlighting the critical issues and opportunities for review the design guidelines in planning future similar educational facilities, in order to improve the learning built environments quality, the operating and maintenance procedures and the preservation of the building project life cycle.

abstract: The United Nations projects that 68% of the world population will live in urban areas by 2050. As urban areas continue to grow, it is critical to consider how cities will be redesigned and reimagined to ensure that they are healthy and beneficial places that can properly support their residents. In addition, college students have been identified as a vulnerable population in regards to overall wellness. In Downtown Phoenix, one the biggest elements of concern will be the built environment and its influence on wellbeing as the city itself and Arizona State University’s Downtown campus populations continue to expand. Given this, the purpose of this study is two-fold. I applied Social-Cognitive Theory as a framework to first, understand student perceptions of the built and social environment and second, explore how perceptions of the built and social environment influence student wellbeing. I used semi-structured interviews and participant-driven photo elicitation to answer these questions. The study took place at Taylor Place Mall on Arizona State University’s Downtown Campus and participants were students who attend classes on the ASU Downtown Campus. Findings displayed the need for design considerations to focus on the safety of students, creating places to gather for social connection, and overall a desire for design to focus on place making and place meaning, as well as other themes. Understanding more clearly how the built and social environment guides behaviors and social opportunities can help urban designers, landscape architects, and community developers better plan healthier environments that foster productive behaviors, create meaningful spaces, and prove to be sustainable in future years. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Community Resources and Development 2019

Architects throughout have been forced to practice design surrounded by a society that generally lacks of architectural awareness and interest. A growing trend to transition from a relatively isolated profession into a field that promotes stronger public involvement is critical for architecture to evolve. Within the past 10 years, the growth of architectural centers have begun to dissolve the barrier between the profession and the general public in that their primary function regardless of what form they represent, is to introduce and educate issues of architecture that are an inescapable part of our built environment. An investigation of architectural research institute precedents, would allow for opportunities to understand how they have engaged professional knowledge with a growing educated public opinion. Promoting the idea of similar functions locally to a skeptic public has to be based on the importance of change, where new technologies are consistently transforming the way we approach design problems. Introducing a variety of techniques to display information, which go beyond any two dimensional format into a three or four dimensional, more tactile, interactive medium, allowing the observer to become engaged in what they are learning is important for individuals to establish meaning. The facility itself would be a catalyst for learning in which design issues are presented and solutions are viewed by the viewer in a multi-sensory way. The ultimate goal would be able to establish a system of memory responses to allow the general public a better connection with architecture. Creating a center of information housed within a singular building would be a beneficial beginning but it is important to express that information beyond any static building into a contextual environment in which it can be further related with. Adding richness to public spaces that promote cases of good architectural design can be an example that would allow the absorption of concepts through participation. Eventually, the results would lead to more knowledgeable public input about how their built environment is viewed and encourage better design.

With medical advancement and technology, generations are living longer. The process of aging is accompanied by development of chronic disease, reduced physical function, and increased risk of mortality. Older adults do not meet dietary requirements for fruits and vegetables due to lack of access, early satiety, socioeconomic factors, etc. Without proper attainment of fruit and vegetable recommendations, older adults are placed at risk of chronic disease. Interventions exist to help bridge the gap between older adult nutrition and currently established dietary guidelines. Built environments, such as community gardens, have received attentions in the public health arena as a successful way to engage the older adult population with benefits ranging from improved dietary behaviors to increased socializations and improved mental health. Many services for older adults are financially supported through the Older Americans Act. Interventions between community and academic entities require collaborative effort of the researchers at the university, the community members, as well as cooperative extension. Successful interventions engage all levels of the socioeconomic model. Engagement of all program stakeholders as well as clear communication and group collaboration serve as critical necessities in supporting a sustainable intervention of this kind.

In this paper, the Swedish cities Gävle and Göteborg are compared regarding how well activity-based hotspots can capture pedestrian movement. The aim with this paper is to produce a further understanding about how the built environment affects human activities, as well as applying new methods for analyzing big geospatial data. The project is carried out with user generated travel data that comes from the company Trivector and their app TravelVu. Space syntax theory and methods are applied to the street networks to investigate if there are any correlations between the connectivity and the number of travels per street, which in turn is based on natural streets. The results indicate that there is a correlation between connectivity and number of travels per street. But with the use of naturally generated hotspots that are based on human activity, the correlation increases greatly, which imply that in areas with high human activity the connectivity of streets better captures the human movement than in areas with low activity.

Background: Urban form is a contributor to physical inactivity, which is a problem around the world. The association between urban form and physical activity is not fully understood, in part because improved methodologies of assessing urban form are necessary. This thesis consists of four studies that examined the association between urban form and physical activity in Edmonton, Alberta, using Geographic Information Systems. The research goals of this thesis were: (1) to compare two objective methods of assessing urban form walkability; (2) to examine the association between objective and subjective urban form measures and physical activity; and (3) to compare self-reported physical activity of individuals living in high and low walkability neighborhoods. Methods: Study 1 addressed Goal 1 and focused on objectively measuring urban form walkability based on public health and architectural (space syntax) measures. Study 2 addressed Goal 2 and focused on urban form association with self-reported physical activity. Study 3 addressed Goals 2 and 3 and focused on urban form association with self-reported walking. Study 4 addressed Goal 3 and involved an observational study of the pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicular movement in four neighbourhoods stratified by walkability and socio-economic status (SES). Results: Study 1 revealed agreement between public health and space syntax measures of assessing urban form. Study 2 revealed that only the objective environment was associated with physical activity. Study 3 revealed that only the perceived environment was associated with walking. Study 3 also revealed that walking as recommended was not different for individuals living in environments objectively assessed as higher versus lower in walkability. Study 4 revealed that observed pedestrian movement was higher in volume in neighbourhoods objectively assessed as higher in walkability. Cyclist movement was lower in volume in the neighbourhood classified as lower in walkability and in SES than in the other three neighbourhoods. Vehicular movement was no different in volume in the four neighbourhoods. Conclusion: Both objective and subjective urban form influence physical activity. A common Social Ecological Models - Space Syntax framework would enable a better understanding of urban form influences on physical activity.

Based on some central assumptions of the Enlightenment – particularly the ability of mankind to change and choose its future – this thesis investigates how thoughts on planning have changed since the Second World War. A Weberian ideal type of modern planning is outlined, based on the concepts of rationalism, voluntarism, utopianism and the collective good. Two main debates concerning urban and spatial planning are then studied with an argumentative discourse analysis, using the ideal type as a point of comparison. In the international academic planning debate, five different discourses are identified, with competing views on what planning is and ought to be about. In contrast to previous research, the study concludes that modern and enlightened values are still highly estimated, even in discourses formulated as ‘post-modern turns’ in planning. In the Swedish political planning debate four central policy processes are analysed: the development of the Building Act in 1947, the political background of the National Physical Planning Act adopted in 1972, the lengthy political process behind the Plan and Building Act which was finally accepted in 1987, and some reconsiderations concerning the Planning and Building Act after 1990. Previous research claims to have identified a great shift in planning thought over the time period studied. It is maintained that a rational model based on the assumption that public planning can guide or even bind the future to a blueprint has been replaced by a more incremental, communicative or post-modern planning practice. However, this thesis shows how Swedish planning policy has rather been characterized by stability and continuity. Ever since the 1960s, it has been dominated by a rational, albeit adaptable discourse, influenced by modern and enlightened values.

Experience of the built-environment is said to be dependent on visual perception and the physical properties of space. Scene and environmental preference research suggests that particular visual features greatly influence one’s response to their environment. Typically, environments which are informative and allow an individual to gain further knowledge about their surroundings are preferred. Although, such findings could be applied to the design process it is first necessary to develop a way in which to accurately and objectively describe the visual properties within an environment. Recently it has been proposed that isovist analysis could be employed to describe built-environments. In two experiments we examined whether or not isovist analysis can capture experience of real-world environments. In Experiment one we demonstrated that isovist analysis can be employed to describe experience of environment within a controlled, laboratory environment. In Experiment two we employed some of the methods of post-occupancy analysis to examine the robustness of the isovist approach and whether it would capture experience of a complex, real-world environment. The results of Experiment two suggest that isovist analysis could capture certain experiences, such as spaciousness, but failed to capture other responses. Regression analysis suggests that a large number of variables predicted experience, including previous experience with the building and the presence of other individuals. These findings suggest that experience of real-world, complex environments cannot be captured by the visual properties alone, but also highlight some of the other factors, such as presence of others and previous experiences may influence experience of built settings. Implications for the design processes are described.