The purpose of this essay is to, through a case study, increase the understanding of the impact of the design policy on existing residential areas in the pursuit of a good built environment. The case study has been realized through an observation of Klockaretorpet’s center, a district in Norrköping, and interviews with the actors that are involved in the project, Möter konsten. The essay deals with the issues in how public art can contribute to a Good built environment for the residents. Also, how the project Möter konsten can work with public art in an existing residential area. Lastly, what consequences a project of public art might bring in an existing residential area. To implement the result and the analysis, the following theoretical framework has been attached; good built environment, design policy, public art and cooperation. The result shows that public art is a generator and creates synergies in the design policy. The public art and the design policy are therefore to pursuit a good built environment on existing residential areas. / Syftet med uppsatsen är, att genom en fallstudie, öka förståelsen för den gestaltade livsmiljöns påverkan på befintliga bostadsområden i strävan efter en god bebyggd miljö. Fallstudien har utförts genom en observation av Klockaretorpets centrum samt intervjuer med involverade aktörer i projektet Möter konsten. Uppsatsen besvarar frågeställningarna som berör hur den konstnärliga gestaltningen kan bidra till en God bebyggd miljö för de boende. Även hur ett projekt som Möter konsten kan arbeta med konstnärlig gestaltning i ett befintligt bostadsområde. Till sist, vilka konsekvenser ett konstnärligt gestaltningsprojekt kan få i ett befintligt bostadsområde. För genomförandet av resultat och analys har följande teoretiska ramverk varit i utgångspunkt; God bebyggd miljö, gestaltad livsmiljö, konstnärlig gestaltning och samverkan i det offentliga rummet. Resultatet visar på att konstnärlig gestaltning är en generator och skapar synergier i en gestaltad livsmiljö. Gestaltningarna påverkar därmed stävan efter en god bebyggd miljö i befintliga bostadsområden.

Den Blomstrande staden inleds med hypotesen att det finns många tomma butikslokaler i Malmö idag. Främsta anledningen är att allt färre personer köper saker i fysiska butiker då konsumtionen förflyttas online. Med flera tomma lokaler i staden blir den oattraktiv och riskerar att ödeläggas, vilket försämrar livskvaliteten för dess invånare. Syftet med detta arbete är att ta fram förslag på vad de tomma butikslokalerna i Malmös stadskärna och kringliggande köpcenter - kan få för nya användningsområden. Användningsområden som är hållbara socialt, ekologiskt och ekonomiskt. Vikten av närhet till växtlighet i byggd miljö är ett kunskapsläge som används genom hela arbetet då grönska är essentiellt för både människors och miljöns välmående. Arbetet utgår från frågeställningen: Hur kan tomma butikslokaler, tidigare avsedda för konsumtion som visat sig ohållbar - omvandlas till platser som främjar social, ekologisk och ekonomisk hållbarhet? Den blomstrande staden tog form genom platsanalyser med tre olika syften: kartläggning av tomma butikslokaler, analys av inspirerande verksamheter och slutligen - analys av plats att omgestalta. I kartläggningen sammanställdes antalet tomma butikslokaler i Malmös stadskärna och kringliggande köpcenter, som ett underlag - för att få en uppfattning om hur många det faktiskt rör sig om.  I nästa fas utfördes platsanalys nummer två: Inspirerande verksamheter. Detta för att få inspiration av redan existerande verksamheter - där den sociala, ekologiska och ekonomiska hållbarheten tagits i beaktande. Här besöktes verksamheter för hållbar konsumtion, hemester & avkoppling, gynnsam arbetsmiljö & sociala interaktioner och slutligen växtlighet i samspel med byggd miljö.  Med hjälp av ramverken Mind the G.A.P.S. och N-O-S utfördes den tredje och sista platsanalysen inför omgestaltning i form av visualiseringar. Här selekterades ett område av Södra Förstadsgatan då flödet av människor var högt, men trots det - flera tomma butikslokaler. Alltså ett utmärkt exempel på en plats där det behöver tänkas om. Dessa visualiseringar presenterar två exempel på hållbara verksamheter som framtagits under arbetet. Samtliga förslag presenteras i resultatet i form av en färgtabell i kombination med översiktskartor. De är alla på ett eller flera sätt hållbara. I färgtabellen blir det överskådligt på vilket sätt varje verksamhet är hållbar - socialt, ekologiskt eller ekonomiskt. Flera verksamheter uppfyller en kombination av två eller alla tre dimensioner.  Förhoppningen med Den blomstrande staden är att inspirera till ett nytt hållbart tänkande gällande stadsplanering, så att lokaler som idag ekar tomma, kan fyllas med nya idéer och vakna till liv igen - socialt, samtidigt som de ekologiska och ekonomiska aspekter tas med i utformandet för att skapa en blomstrande stad. / The Blooming City begins with the hypothesis that there are many empty retail premises in Malmö today. The main reason is that fewer and fewer people buy things in physical stores since online shops are taking over. With several empty premises in the city, it becomes unattractive and risks desertion, which decreases the quality of life for its inhabitants. The purpose of this thesis is to produce proposals of new areas of use for the empty retail premises in Malmö’s city center and surrounding shopping centers. Uses that are sustainable socially, ecologically and economically. The importance of proximity to vegetation in the built environment is a state of knowledge used throughout the thesis, since greenery is essential for the well-being of both people and the environment. The thesis is based on the question: How can empty store premises, previously intended for consumption that has shown unsustainable - be transformed into places that promote social, ecological and economic sustainability? The Blooming City took shape through site analyses with three different purposes: mapping of empty retail premises, analysis of inspiring businesses and finally - analysis of place to redesign. The mapping compiled the number of empty retail premises in Malmö’s city center and surrounding shopping centers, as a basis - to get an idea of ​​how many there actually are. In the next phase, the second site analysis was performed: Inspiring businesses. This was to be inspired by already existing businesses - where social, ecological and economic sustainability have been taken into account. Businesses that were visited were for sustainable consumption, holidays & relaxation, thriving work environment & social interactions and finally vegetation in interaction with the built environment. By using the models Mind the G.A.P.S. and N-O-S, the third and final site analysis was performed prior to the redesign process and visualizations. Here, an area of ​​Södra Förstadsgatan was selected because despite a heavy flow of people, there are several empty shop premises. So it is an excellent example of a place in need of redesign. These visualizations present two examples of sustainable businesses that have been developed during the thesis. All proposals are presented in the results in the form of a color table in combination with overview maps. They are all sustainable in one way or another. In the color table, it becomes clear in which way each business is sustainable - socially, ecologically or economically. Several businesses attain a combination of two or all three dimensions. The ambition with The Blooming City is to inspire new sustainable thinking regarding urban planning, so that premises that today are empty, can be filled with new ideas and come to life again - socially, while the ecological and economic aspects are included in the design to create a blooming city.

In recent years, an array of political, environmental, and health activists have brought to light the previously overlooked structural inequalities that plague many urban cities and their underserved populations. With a growing population and an increased dichotomy between social classes in the United States, urbanization may be inevitable. However, how urban planners and public agencies choose to build and design these areas is malleable. Provision of safe and equitable living conditions by these individuals is an obligation of utmost importance, and as such, this thesis aims to both provide insight as to how the built environment, development patterns, and land use play a significant role in in morbidity and mortality in urban communities across the nation and world, as well as assist in bridging the divide between disciplines of urban health and urban planning as we look towards creating healthier, greener, more equitable cities. The built environment and health can and should be discussed in the same breath during urban planning and development, and thus, the preservation, presence, and development of urban green space should be prioritized during processes of urbanization, with active engagement and empowerment from the communities in which we seek to build. The existing inverse association between increased urbanization and community health necessitates an induction of change and a call for action from urban planners, city and state officials, health scientists, environmental conservationists, and communities as a whole. / Urban Bioethics

It is evident that climate change threatens considerable parts of the population. With effects such as floodings, heatwaves and water scarcity already visible and expected to increase in severity, adapting society is vital. In Sweden, the county administrative boards are dedicated the role to coordinate climate adaptation work and support, guide, and supervise the municipalities. However, the municipalities are responsible for the physical planning process. They thus play an important role in climate adaptation as it is statutory in the comprehensive plan.The aim of this thesis is to analyse how two Swedish municipalities that have significantly experienced the effects of climate change and are particularly vulnerable to them work with climate adaptation of the built environment as well as in the planning phase of new areas. Based oninterviews with officials and analysis of municipal documents, five important themes emerged. They include current work on climate adaptation, unpreparedness, legislation, co-operation, and the importance of the early stage. Both municipalities work with adaptation measures and integrate it into the planning process, to varying degrees. Unpreparedness is a challenge due to the longterm perspective and uncertainties in climate change. Legislation is often a barrier as it is lagging, making it difficult for municipalities to take necessary measures. It is easier to plan for adaptation measures in the planning phase of new areas than in the existing built environment. It is thus of considerable importance to incorporate climate adaptation in the early stage of the planning process.

Across the world, efforts are being made to deal with climate change, where development in different fields is being made to transition towards a sustainable future. Transportation has become one component of this, resulting in the emergence of micro-mobility. One popular micro-mobility mode discussed by many scholars and introduced in many places, including the city of Linköping, is e-scooters. E-scooters have become popular due to the flexibility they offer. However, they have contributed negative aspects too. Therefore, I have investigated how the implementation of e- scooters has affected Linköping municipality in terms of the built environment, travel habits, and sustainable goals perspective. I further describe the approach to socio-technical transition by introducing a niche innovation and, in this case, e-scooters to improve the current transportation system to steer towards a low-carbon future. The impact e-scooters have had in Linköping municipality will be captured through interviews with the officials and politicians from the municipality. The findings showed that e-scooters negatively impacted the built environment by putting more pressure on an already crowded city. Some e-scooters would be carelessly parked, posing a danger to other traffic users. As a result, specific regulations, such as geo-zones, were made to reduce e-scooters being wrongly parked. In Linköping city, e-scooters have mostly replaced walking and public transport trips. Because e- scooters are still relatively new in Linköping municipality, their contribution to the municipality's sustainable goals is limited and difficult to assess.

One of the key components of international development is to provide adequate shelter for citizens of developing countries. This is often accomplished by governmental, non- governmental, and private organizations that seek to lower the cost, increase the quality, and expand the availability of safe, sustainable housing through the use of innovative technologies. These new technologies can affect the social and/or economic structure within communities. This paper is a case study resulting from the construction of a seventy-one-home village, including infrastructure, near Yogyakarta, Indonesia by a foreign, aid-based non-governmental organization (NGO). The village was relocated less than two kilometers from its original site after a massive landslide, triggered by the 2006 earthquakes of Central Java, virtually destroyed the entire community. Four years after construction the researcher took an inductive inquiry approach through interviews with residents of the community and residents of neighboring communities to understand the social and economic impacts. The research project explored the unintended consequences to the community resulting from the NGO's use of innovative housing technologies (steel reinforced concrete domes and planned community development) without a thorough understanding of underlying community culture and interactions.

The overall goals of this dissertation are to investigate the sustainability of the built environment, holistically, by assessing its Triple Bottom Line (TBL): environmental, economic, and social impacts, as well as propose cost-effective, socially acceptable, and environmentally benign policies using several decision support models. This research is anticipated to transform life cycle assessment (LCA) of the built environment by using a TBL framework, integrated with economic input-output analysis, simulation, and multicriteria optimization tools. The major objectives of the outlined research are to (1) build a system-based TBL sustainability assessment framework for the sustainable built environment, by (a) advancing a national TBL-LCA model which is not available for the United States of America; (b) extending the integrated sustainability framework through environmental, economic, and social sustainability indicators; and (2) develop a systembased analysis toolbox for sustainable decisions including Monte Carlo simulation and multi-criteria compromise programming. When analyzing the total sustainability impacts by each U.S. construction sector, “Residential Permanent Single and Multi-Family Structures" and "Other Non-residential Structures" are found to have the highest environmental, economic, and social impacts compared to other construction sectors. The analysis results also show that indirect suppliers of construction sectors have the largest sustainability impacts compared to onsite activities. For example, for all U.S. construction sectors, on-site construction processes are found to be responsible for less than 5 % of total water consumption, whereas about 95 iv % of total water use can be attributed to indirect suppliers. In addition, Scope 3 emissions are responsible for the highest carbon emissions compared to Scope 1 and 2. Therefore, using narrowly defined system boundaries by ignoring supply chain-related impacts can result in underestimation of TBL sustainability impacts of the U.S. construction industry. Residential buildings have higher shares in the most of the sustainability impact categories compared to other construction sectors. Analysis results revealed that construction phase, electricity use, and commuting played important role in much of the sustainability impact categories. Natural gas and electricity consumption accounted for 72% and 78% of the total energy consumed in the U.S. residential buildings. Also, the electricity use was the most dominant component of the environmental impacts with more than 50% of greenhouse gases emitted and energy used through all life stages. Furthermore, electricity generation was responsible for 60% of the total water withdrawal of residential buildings, which was even greater than the direct water consumption in residential buildings. In addition, construction phase had the largest share in income category with 60% of the total income generated through residential building’s life cycle. Residential construction sector and its supply chain were responsible for 36% of the import, 40% of the gross operating surplus, and 50% of the gross domestic product. The most sensitive parameters were construction activities and its multiplier in most the sustainability impact categories. v In addition, several emerging pavement types are analyzed using a hybrid TBL-LCA framework. Warm-mix Asphalts (WMAs) did not perform better in terms of environmental impacts compared to Hot-mix Asphalt (HMA). Asphamin® WMA was found to have the highest environmental and socio-economic impacts compared to other pavement types. Material extractions and processing phase had the highest contribution to all environmental impact indicators that shows the importance of cleaner production strategies for pavement materials. Based on stochastic compromise programming results, in a balanced weighting situation, Sasobit® WMA had the highest percentage of allocation (61%), while only socio-economic aspects matter, Asphamin® WMA had the largest share (57%) among the WMA and HMA mixtures. The optimization results also supported the significance of an increased WMA use in the United States for sustainable pavement construction. Consequently, the outcomes of this dissertation will advance the state of the art in built environment sustainability research by investigating novel efficient methodologies capable of offering optimized policy recommendations by taking the TBL impacts of supply chain into account. It is expected that the results of this research would facilitate better sustainability decisions in the adoption of system-based TBL thinking in the construction field.

This thesis proposes the use of a sociotechnical systems approach for analysing project management in nondeterministic project progress. The academic context of the research covers the domain of general systems theory, more specifically sociotechnical systems, and that of project management. The empirical part of the research comprises of a questionnaire spread amongst project managers in technical service firms in the built environment sector. The research shows that there are research opportunities in project management to which the sociotechnical approach to temporary project organisations can contribute.

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This dissertation consists of three essays in health economics. The first chapter, "The Built Environment and Obesity in Philadelphia: The Use of Satellite Imagery and Transfer Learning," investigates the relationship between the built environment and health outcomes, specifically obesity prevalence in Philadelphia. The built environment can affect obesity prevalence through the physical activity environment and the food environment. The main innovation of this paper is to use a pre-trained convolutional neural network (CNN) to extract data representing the features of the built environment from high-resolution satellite imagery. Because of the lack of information on the food environment in satellite images, I combined a proxy variable for food access together with the feature variables to represent the characteristics of the built environment. I then employed the Elastic Net model to test the relationship between the feature variables of the built environment and obesity prevalence in Philadelphia. The results show that the built environment is highly associated with obesity prevalence. This study also provides some evidence that the features of the built environment that have been extracted from satellite imagery can reduce the role of food access in estimating obesity, as well as that adding these features can explain more variance of obesity. The second chapter, "Paid Maternity Leave and Child Health: Evidence from Urban China," uses the China Health and Nutrition Survey data to study whether the extension of paid maternity leave affects children's health outcomes in urban China. This paper uses the time variation of the implementation of a maternity leave policy across different provinces from 1987 to 1991 in China to estimate a two-way fixed-effects model. The results suggest that the expansion of paid maternity leave has no impact on children's health in urban China. The last chapter, titled "The Association between Paid Maternity Leave and Mothers' Health and Labor Outcomes in Urban China," studies whether the extension of paid maternity leave in 1987-1991 would affect the labor and health outcomes of mothers in urban China by using the China Health and Nutrition Survey data. Based on the variation in the implementation time of a paid maternity leave policy across different provinces, this paper employs a two-way fixed-effects model to estimate the policy impact on mothers' health and labor outcomes in China. The findings indicate that extending the duration of paid maternity leave is associated with an increased likelihood of mothers remaining employed after childbirth. However, the study also reveals a negative relationship between the extension of paid maternity leave and mothers' wage rates. / Economics