Traditionally New Zealand ecological research has focused on nature outside of cities, however, as with global trends, there is now more interest being given to the ecological functioning of cities and the potential they may hold for protecting native biodiversity. Traditionally, efforts to maintain biodiversity in urban areas have been restricted to remnants of native vegetation and restoration activities. Little attention has been given to how native biodiversity could be woven into the urban fabric in an ecologically meaningful way. One option, that is receiving much attention overseas, is to recruit underutilised urban spaces such as wasteland. A subset of urban wasteland, abandoned industrial areas usually awaiting development and other areas such as the railway buffer, are referred to here as greyfield. These are ephemeral sites that may sit between uses for as little as a few months to many years. Overseas, particularly in European countries, these have been recognised as important habitat for both native and introduced plant species. In New Zealand cities these support primarily introduced plants and their contribution to native biodiversity has been unknown. This thesis took an interdisciplinary approach to the question of whether urban greyfields might have potential value as biodiversity protection and conservation opportunity. Ecological methods were combined with an assessment of the planning framework to answer this question. iii Greyfields in Christchurch, New Zealand were surveyed to determine their current contribution to native biodiversity and whether they may act as urban analogues of natural habitats. Overseas research has shown that urban features such as pavements, walls and rooftops offer habitats analogous to cliffs and rocky habitats. Cities are therefore increasing the habitat exploitable by species whose natural habitats are geographically restricted. The Christchurch greyfields were assessed for their potential to act as analogues of four habitat types that have been categorised as historically rare in New Zealand: braided riverbeds, shingle beaches, rock outcrops and limestone outcrops. The findings suggest that urban greyfields, if managed appropriately, have the potential to support a wider range of native species Planning documents and biodiversity strategies written for Christchurch were assessed to see how well they facilitated non-traditional biodiversity enhancement initiatives, specifically the greyfield network for native biodiversity. A major finding here was a lack of information on how to enhance biodiversity where little of the natural features of the landscape were left and that this was creating a barrier to adopting more integrative approaches to enhancing native biodiversity. Finally, a plan to create a greyfield network for native biodiversity is proposed and suggestions are made as to minor changes to the planning framework that would more easily facilitate the uptake of novel biodiversity enhancement initiatives in the City.

[pt] A cor é inerente à experiência visual humana, sendo um atributo importante do projeto do ambiente construído nos Estabelecimentos Assistenciais de Saúde (EAS). Nos EAS a cor tem usos diversificados. Sob o viés funcional os códigos da linguagem cromática conformam a cor-informação com o sentido de auxiliar no desempenho do espaço. Ao tratar da orientação espacial do usuário, essa abordagem é pelo wayfinding, para o uso da cor-informação nos sistemas informacionais do ambiente construído – arquitetura, objetos e mensagens adicionais. Esses sistemas são pertinentes aos campos da Arquitetura, do Design de Interiores e do Design Gráfico. A partir do entendimento de que o potencial informacional da cor é condicionado pelas relações de diversas variáveis pertinentes ao seu contexto, esse estudo desenvolveu o modelo do Projeto Cromático para os Sistemas Informacionais (PCSI). O PCSI é uma proposta de encaminhamento de projeto que contempla as interações de aspectos fundamentais acerca da cor-informação no ambiente construído. Desenvolveram-se dois estudos de caso nos quais foram verificadas as questões apontadas no PCSI. Os dados mostram que a eficiência da cor-informação nos deslocamentos do usuário em EAS implica uma condição que envolve o atendimento dos seguintes aspectos: a ação interdisciplinar entre os projetistas ao longo dos processos dos projetos que envolvem o uso da cor no ambiente, o aporte teórico acerca dos fundamentos da cor, cor-informação, wayfinding e Ergonomia, integração da cor-informação aos sistemas informacionais e esses às necessidades do usuário real, aquele que irá interagir com o ambiente. / [en] Color is inherent in the human visual experience and is therefore an important attribute in designing a built environment for Health Care Facilities (EAS). In this environment, color has varied uses. From a functional viewpoint, chromatic language codes conform with the color-information so as to assist in the performance of space. In dealing with the user s spatial orientation this approach is for wayfinding, for the use of color-information in the information systems of the built environment - architecture, objects and additional messages. These systems are relevant to projects in the fields of Architecture, Interior Design and Graphic Design. Based on the understanding that the informational potential of color is conditioned to the relation of several variables relevant to their context, this study developed the Chromatic Design model for Information Systems (PCSI). The PCSI is a project-forwarding proposal that includes the interactions of fundamental aspects of color-information in the built environment. Two case studies were developed in which the issues raised in the PCSI were checked. Data show that color-information efficiency in a user s movement through an EAS implies a condition that involves satisfying the following aspects: an interdisciplinary action between designers throughout the processes of the projects involving the use of color in the environment, the theoretical contribution of color basics, color-information, wayfinding and Ergonomics, integrating color-information to information systems and integrating these to the needs of the real user who will be interacting with the environment.

Submitted by Adriano Borges Costa (adrianoborgescosta@gmail.com) on 2018-11-07T17:45:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DoctoralDissertation_AdrianoBorgesCosta.pdf: 6310981 bytes, checksum: 1f02162e3fc6d0b08f29ad04511edf14 (MD5) / Rejected by Pamela Beltran Tonsa (pamela.tonsa@fgv.br), reason: Boa tarde Adriano, Já recebi seu trabalho e deverá fazer alguns ajustes para que possamos assim aprova-lo. • O título que você colocou no trabalho está diferente do que consta em ATA e não existe no verso do documento a alteração (TRANSPORTATION AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN SÃO PAULO: EVIDENCES ON HOW TRANSPORTATION HAS SHAPED AND STILL SHAPES THE CITY) – Caso realmente seja necessária a alteração, o professor deverá comparecer a secretaria para fazer a alteração no documento. • SÃO PAULO – 2018 deve ficar em letra maiúscula; • Só deve aparecer numeração de página na introdução; • Resumo e Abstract deve ter apenas uma lauda; • Seu trabalho por ser redigido em inglês, deve ter como ordem Astract e Resumo. Após os ajustes submeter novamente, qualquer dúvida estamos à disposição. Att, Pamela Tonsa on 2018-11-07T18:08:44Z (GMT) / Submitted by Adriano Borges Costa (adrianoborgescosta@gmail.com) on 2018-11-07T19:14:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 DoctoralDissertation_AdrianoBorgesCosta.pdf: 6330676 bytes, checksum: 972f98915c4841b2f8e71009bd794128 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Pamela Beltran Tonsa (pamela.tonsa@fgv.br) on 2018-11-08T14:17:59Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DoctoralDissertation_AdrianoBorgesCosta.pdf: 6330676 bytes, checksum: 972f98915c4841b2f8e71009bd794128 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Isabele Garcia (isabele.garcia@fgv.br) on 2018-11-08T17:38:24Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 DoctoralDissertation_AdrianoBorgesCosta.pdf: 6330676 bytes, checksum: 972f98915c4841b2f8e71009bd794128 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-08T17:38:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 DoctoralDissertation_AdrianoBorgesCosta.pdf: 6330676 bytes, checksum: 972f98915c4841b2f8e71009bd794128 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-09-18 / Quando a cidade se expande, o que veio primeiro, transporte ou desenvolvimento urbano? Transporte pode ser usado para promover mudanças urbanas? Que tipo de mudanças no ambiente construído podemos esperar dos investimentos em transporte? Transporte é um fator crítico ao se explicar a morfologia de uma área urbana. Ao mesmo tempo que aspectos históricos de transporte podem determinar a forma das cidades, novos investimentos também têm o potencial de alterar o ambiente construído ao redor. O estudo da forma urbana e do transporte urbano é um dos elementos que unem os dois ensaios empíricos que compõem esta tese. Outro aspecto que se repete entre os capítulos deste manuscrito é a análise empírica baseada em São Paulo. Na literatura sobre o desenvolvimento urbano da cidade São Paulo, faltam resultados empíricos que evidenciem a conexão entre o desenvolvimento do transporte rodoviário e da expansão urbana periférica na cidade. No Capítulo 1, usamos modelos de causalidade de Granger e dados históricos sobre transporte e desenvolvimento urbano para medir o co-desenvolvimento desses fatores na cidade entre 1881 e 2013. Os resultados confirmam a hipótese da literatura ao mostrar que a expansão urbana seguiu a implantação do transporte rodoviário, mas esse fenômeno também avançou na direção oposta, com expansão urbana puxando a construção de novas ruas e avenidas. Exploramos como as decisões tomadas na década de 1930 priorizaram o desenvolvimento rodoviário em vez do transporte de massa, que depois disso não foi mais capaz de acompanhar a expansão urbana de São Paulo. No entanto, encontramos evidências de que os investimentos em transporte de massa têm sido historicamente seguidos por significativo adensamento de edificações em áreas adjacentes. No Capítulo 2, desenvolvemos uma análise empírica de curto prazo usando uma gama mais ampla de variáveis para explorar como investimentos recentes em transporte de média e alta capacidade estão alterando regiões paulistanas, com atenção especial a áreas periféricas. Desde a década de 1980, a condição urbana de muitas áreas periféricas melhorou significativamente, e famílias de renda média estão mudando para algumas dessas “periferias melhoradas”. Usamos dados socioeconômicos altamente desagregados espacialmente para 2000 e 2010 e o método econométrico de diferenças-em-diferenças para avaliar o impacto de novos corredores de ônibus, linhas de metrô e estações de trem construídos no início dos anos 2000. Nossos resultados mostram que os ganhos de acessibilidade gerados por essas infraestruturas de transporte público atraíram novos projetos imobiliários, aumentaram o número de empregos per capita e levaram a uma melhor cobertura de alguns serviços públicos nas áreas periféricas vizinhas, contribuindo para sua consolidação urbana. Esse resultado, somado aos mencionados achados históricos, revela o potencial que investimentos em transportes têm para alterar o ambiente construído, seja estimulando a expansão urbana periférica, induzindo adensamento ou contribuindo para a consolidação urbana. O uso de investimentos em transporte público para induzir transformações urbanas recebe mais atenção na medida em que o conceito de desenvolvimento orientado ao transporte sustentável (DOTS) atrai mais adeptos e fica evidente que os planos de transporte e uso do solo urbano devem ser integrados. Os fatores estão inter-relacionados e intervenções públicas coordenadas têm o potencial de produzir resultados sinérgicos. No entanto, investimentos em transporte coletivo estão entre as políticas urbanas mais complexas e apresentam desafios específicos para estudos de políticas públicas, principalmente relacionados à coordenação intra e interfederativa em sua implementação. / When the city sprawls, what came first, transportation or urban development? Can transportation be used to promote urban changes? What kind of changes in the built environment can we expect from transportation investments? Transportation is a critical factor explaining the morphology of an urban area. While historical aspects of transportation can determine the form of cities, new investments may also affect and change the surrounding built environment. The study of urban form and urban transportation is one of the elements that unite the two empirical essays comprising this thesis. Another aspect that recurs among the chapters of this manuscript is empirical analysis based in São Paulo. There is a lack of empirical results evidencing the interconnected development of road transportation and peripheral urban sprawl in São Paulo. In Chapter 1, we used Granger causality models and historical data on transportation and urban development to measure the co-development of these factors in the city between 1881 and 2013. Our findings confirm the hypothesis in the literature by showing that urban sprawl followed road transportation deployment, but this phenomenon also moved in the opposite direction, with sprawl pulling construction of new roadways. We explore how critical juncture decisions made during the 1930’s have prioritized road development instead of mass transit, that after that was no more capable to follow São Paulo’s urban sprawl. Nonetheless, we found evidence that mass transit investments have historically been followed by significant building densification in surrounding areas. In Chapter 2, we developed a short-term empirical analysis using a wider range of variables to explore how recent mass transportation investment is currently changing São Paulo’s neighborhoods, with particular attention to peripheral areas. Since the 1980`s, the urban condition of many peripheral areas has improved significantly, and middle-income families are moving to some of this “upgraded peripheries.” We used highly spatial disaggregated socioeconomic data from 2000 and 2010 and a differences-in-differences econometric method to access the impact of new bus corridors, subway lines, and train stations built in the early 2000s. Our findings show that the accessibility gains generated by these public transportation facilities have attracted new real estate projects, increased the number of jobs per capita, and led to better provision of some public services in surrounding peripheral areas, contributing to their urban consolidation. This result, added to the mentioned historical findings, reveals the potential which transportation investment has to change the built environment, whether by stimulating peripheral urban sprawl, inducing densification, or contributing to urban consolidation. The use of transit investments to induce urban transformations is receiving new attention as the concept of transit oriented development (TOD) attracts more adepts and evident that transportation and urban land use plans must be integrated. The factors are interrelated, and coordinated public interventions therefore have the potential to produce synergistic results. However, mass transit investments are among the most complex urban policies and present specific challenges for public policy studies, primarily related to intra- and inter-federative coordination in their implementation.

ABSTRACT Oceano Community Health Plan Phillip Brennan Recent, mounting research shows that chronic disease, the leading causes of death and primary driver of health care costs, cannot be effectively addressed through education or preventative health alone. A physical environment that promotes health—through access to healthy food, opportunities for physical activity, quality housing, transportation options, and safe schools—is an integral part of making our communities healthier. This research and accompanying Healthy Community Plans will serve as a way for the County to begin looking in-depth at the ways the built environment (our streets, parks, and neighborhoods) contribute or detract from the health of the community. Though the creation of a healthy general plan may be unattainable for the County in the short term, a focus on a small yet cohesive part of the county presents an opportunity to affect these changes. Under the direction of the SLO County Health Agency and the Health Commission, we have written Healthy Community Plans for the unincorporated communities of Cayucos and Oceano, California. Both of these plans were greatly informed by their respective communities through input garnered through outreach, interviews, surveys and personal interactions with community members. This project examines the relationship between the built environment and public health, and explores ways planning professionals are beginning to address health issues through infrastructure, land use, creative zoning, and planning strategies that promote health and active living in policy. The planning documents, modeled after health elements currently being included in general plans throughout California, have integrated the fields of planning and public health to provide Cayucos and Oceano an assessment of its residents’ health, a description of the current built environment conditions that may be helping or hindering physical activity and access to nutritious food sources, as well as establish goals, policies and implementation strategies that will set a course of action toward healthier communities. Key Words: planning, public health, physical activity, built environment, community, active transportation

Studien grundar sig i den ständigt ökade stadsbefolkningen vilket bidrar till att städerna behöver utvecklas. En lösning på detta kan vara förtätning. Det kan leda till konsekvenser i de befintliga kvarteren med nya byggnader som oftast ska placeras i känsliga miljöer som i detta fall är ett kulturhistoriskt värdefullt område. För att inte förvanska kulturhistoriska miljöer är det viktigt att förtätning sker varsamt. Studien behandlar ett kvarter i centrala Växjö som är av högt kulturhistoriskt värde. Syftet i följande studie är att undersöka vilka prioriteringar som sker vid utformning av nybyggnation vid förtätning av kulturhistoriska miljöer. Målet är att ta fram ett förslag på hur en förtätning i ett kulturhistoriskt område kan gå till. Undersökningen baseras på en enkätundersökning och områdesanalyser samt litteraturstudier. Resultatet visar att exploatering kan genomföras om det sker på ett varsamt sätt. Det sätter synnerligen höga krav på fasadutformning, detaljer, material, kulörval, markanslutningar, volym, skala och proportioner samt samspelet med omkringliggande byggnader och miljöer. Att visa respekt för de befintliga områdena och ha ett varsamt förhållningssätt vid förtätningsprojekt för nutida och framtida behov är väsentligt. / The study is based on the ever-increasing urban population, which contributes to the development needs of cities. A solution to this can be densification. This can lead to consequences in the existing neighborhoods with new buildings, which will often be placed in a sensitive environment, which in the case of this study is a cultural-historical area. In order not to distort cultural-historical areas, it is important that densification takes place with care. The study deals with a current area in central Växjö which is of high cultural and historical value. The purpose of the following study is to examine what priorities take precedence while designing new constructions during densifying in cultural-historical environments. The goal is to suggest how densification in a cultural-historical area can look like. The study is based on a survey and observations. The results show that exploitation can be achieved gently. It places truly high demands on facade design, details, materials, color choices, ground connections, volume, scale and proportions as well as interaction with surrounding buildings and environments. Showing respect for existing areas and maintaining a gentle approach when developing cities for contemporary and future needs is essential.

Urbanization is a global trend that is constantly increasing. In Sweden, there are similar patterns where both population and urbanization are expected to increase significantly in the future, wherein cities contribute to several environmental problems, but can also account for many of the solutions. Increasing globalization makes sustainable urban development an important and urgent issue, which Sweden emphasizes the importance of through the national environmental goal "A Good Built Environment". In the mission to create a sustainable urban environment, the local level and thus the municipalities constitute an important part. To study and compare how Nacka and Huddinge municipalities plan for and prioritize sustainable urban development in their comprehensive plans, a qualitative content analysis has been performed. The results of the content analysis have been analyzed through the framework “Sustainable urban planning development framework'' developed by AlQahtany et al. (2013), where this essay has used the framework's four dimensions (environment, social, economy, planning) to answer the problem statements. The results show that the two researched municipalities have an integrated environmental work where all dimensions of the framework are represented in both municipalities’ comprehensive plans, and almost all categories although the distribution of them was usually uneven. The planning dimension was most commonly represented, followed by the social dimension, the environmental dimension and the economic dimension in both municipalities. The main differences between the municipalities' planning were that Nacka municipality had a greater focus on the social dimension compared to Huddinge municipality which had a greater focus on all the other dimensions. / Urbaniseringen är en global trend som konstant ökar och i Sverige återfinns samma mönster där både befolkningsmängd och urbaniseringen förväntas öka avsevärt framöver. Den ökande globaliseringen gör hållbar stadsutveckling till ett viktigt och angeläget problem, eftersom städer bidrar till flera miljöproblem, samtidigt som de även står för många av lösningarna. Även Sverige betonar vikten av hållbar stadsutveckling genom det nationella miljömålet “God bebyggd miljö”. I uppfyllnaden av en hållbar stadsmiljö utgör den lokala nivån och således kommunerna en viktig del. För att undersöka och jämföra uttryck av och prioriteringar inom hållbar stadsutveckling i Nackas och Huddinges översiktsplaner har en kvalitativ innehållsanalys utförts. Resultatet av innehållsanalysen har sedan analyserats utifrån ramverket “Sustainable urban planning development framework” utvecklat av AlQahtany et al. (2013), där uppsatsen har utgått ifrån ramverkets fyra dimensioner (miljö, social, ekonomi, planering) för att besvara frågeställningarna. Resultatet visar att kommunerna har ett integrerat miljöarbete där samtliga dimensioner av ramverket finns representerade i båda kommunernas översiktsplaner, och nästintill alla kategorier, även om fördelningen av dem oftast var ojämn. I båda kommunernas översiktsplaner var planeringsdimensionen mest förekommande, följt av den sociala dimensionen, miljödimensionen och den ekonomiska dimensionen. De främsta skillnaderna mellan kommunernas planering var att Nacka kommun hade större fokus på den sociala dimensionen än vad Huddinge kommun hade, samt att Huddinge hade större fokus på övriga dimensioner.

The aim of the research is to explore the differences in final energy consumption and environmental impact of the construction materials related to the atrium alternative and a business-as-usual and evaluate how to improve thermal properties of old buildings that require renovations to fit thermal efficiency standards and comfort in operational conditions while reducing the overall impact of the projects. Results show that for the low-rise atrium most of the parameters related to the final energy demands and environmental impacts of the atrium construction materials are proportional and linear to the increase of the glazing area size. When compared to simply renovating old structures, the atrium alternative can promote a decrease in thermal losses by transmission and increase in incident solar radiation through the glazed area depending on the atrium dimensions and glazing area size. And although cooling, heating, electrical and ventilation demands are raised for the overall demand of the building the construction of an atrium bears less environmental impact than renovating old structures damaged by weather. / <p>2021-04-08</p>

In recent years, there has been an increase in environmental awareness in the United States leading to steady growth in environmentally conscious consumerism. These changes have come in response to issues such as the energy crisis, climate change, exponential population growth, and rapid urbanization. This fact is further supported by environmental campaigns and the green movement. Looking to the future of green home marketing, understanding the green consumer behavior of Generation Z (GenZ) is important for environmental and business reasons. The purpose of this research is to better understand the perception of GenZ on Green Homes (GHs). The study uses the lenses of dual inheritance and normative motivation theory to explain the influence of benefits and norms related to environmentalism and sustainability on GenZ consumers’ green behavior. This study seeks to evaluate 1) GenZ’s preferences related to Green Home Features (GHFs), 3) the extent of the influence of certain barriers on the adoption of GHFs, and 3) the types of motivation (intrinsic, instrumental and non-normative) influencing GenZ towards green home consumerism. Data was collected using an online survey questionnaire exclusively at Purdue University during March – April of 2021 (IRB 2020-1414). One hundred sixteen GenZ participants responded to the survey.The findings show that these GenZ consumers prefer a certain type of GHFs over others. Additionally, based on descriptive tests of GHFs, energy-related features were the most prized features, while the least preferred was water-efficient features. Descriptive tests on barriers suggest that GenZ consumers perceive the lack of choice in selecting GHFs in their homes to be a top barrier, followed by a lack of information and the perceived effort to analyze GHFs. Inferential tests for the same indicated that GenZ consumers perceive these barriers differently. Lastly, for GenZ consumers, intrinsic and non-normative motivations significantly affect their willingness to buy GHs. The findings concur with previous studies on green consumer behavior, yet they provide a new benchmark for understanding GenZ consumer behavior on GHs and an updated view of what GHFs they prefer. This research can be used by home marketers and policy makers to study future home trends, attract more potential homeowners to GHs, and help create a sustainable environment for future generations.

Background: Policy, systems and environmental (PSE) approaches can sustainably improve opportunities for healthy eating (HE) and active transportation (AT). PSEs require cross-sector collaboration. Adopting and implementing PSEs is complex and not well understood. Methods: First, using a national probability survey dataset of US local health departments (LHD), inclusion of HE and AT PSE strategies in local community health improvement plans (CHIPs) was examined. Next, a content analysis of current CHIP documents provided data for multilevel latent class analyses to identify classes of CHIPs based on patterns of PSE-strategy alignment with six key activities that facilitate change. Lastly, semi-structured interviews informed a qualitative exploration of early stage Complete Streets policy implementation in Worcester, Massachusetts. Results: Less than half of US LHDs reported developing a CHIP containing any HE policy (32%) or AT (46%) strategies. Two classes of CHIPs were identified: CHIPs in Class A (HE: 71%; Physical Activity (PA): 79%) simply identified a PSE solution; Class B CHIPs (HE: 29%; PA 21%) mostly included PSE strategies that comprehensively addressed multiple key activities. Six themes emerged as factors for early Complete Streets implementation. Conclusions: This mixed methods study provides a novel understanding of the status, development and implementation of PSE strategies in relation to collaborative strategic health improvement planning efforts. CHIPs are underutilized to promote PSE strategies and few CHIPs in our study developed strategies that comprehensively address the process of PSE-change. Among other factors, CHIPs may provide a guiding structure for policy adoption and implementation.

Contexte : Jusqu'à présent, les résultats de la recherche de contextes environnementaux et les comportements antécédents de l’obésité pédiatrique n'ont pas été cohérents. But : L’objectif global de cette thèse est d'étudier l'association entre les caractéristiques des parcs, des écoles et des quartiers résidentiels avec des indicateurs liés à l'adiposité : 1) De regroupés les parcs par leurs caractéristiques saillantes et déterminer si certains " types " de parcs sont associés à l'activité physique (AP) et à l'adiposité ; 2) Décrire les écoles en fonction de leurs caractéristiques d’environnement bâties (EB) et sociales prédominantes pour l'AP et d’explorer leurs associations avec l'AP; 3) Déterminer si les caractéristiques théoriquement marchable de l'EB résidentiel sont associées aux comportements de mouvement de 24 heures (sommeil, sédentarité, AP légère (APL), AP modérée à vigoureuse (APMV)) dans les analyses transversales et prospectives. Méthodes : Les données proviennent de la cohorte QUALITY, une étude québécoise portant sur 630 enfants, âgés de 8 à 10 ans lors du recrutement, et ayant une histoire d’obésité parentale. Les environnements des parcs, des résidences et des écoles de 512 participants habitant la Région métropolitaine de Montréal ont été caractérisés. Les données comprenaient des données administratives, de recensement et des observations directes y compris des questionnaires complétés par un membre du personnel de l’école. L'AP des jeunes a été auto rapporté et mesuré par accéléromètres au temps 0 et au suivi 2 ans plus tard. La sédentarité a été mesuré aux deux temps à l'aide d'accéléromètres et le sommeil a été calculé basé sur le temps pendant lequel l'accéléromètre n'était pas porté. L’adiposité a été mesuré avec un DXA au temps 0. L'indice de masse corporelle a été calculé aux deux temps. Les données ont été analysées avec l’analyse en composantes principales, l'analyse en grappes, la régression linéaire et logistique, les équations d'estimation généralisées et l'analyse des données compositionnelles. Résultats : Certaines caractéristiques particulières des parcs, des écoles et des aspects « marchables » des quartiers ont été associées aux résultats liés à l'adiposité chez les participants. Les types de parcs qui offraient des possibilités de jeux non structurés et une variété d'AP étaient associés à l'AP autodéclarée, et les parcs esthétiquement agréables étaient également associés à l’adiposité réduite. Les écoles qui offraient des possibilités de jeux non structurés et qui encourageaient l'AP étaient associées à l'AP. Les caractéristiques « marchables » des quartiers étaient associées à une augmentation de l'APMV et à une diminution du sommeil, de la sédentarité et de l'APL sur une période de 24 heures chez les filles. Conclusion : Cette thèse contribue à la littérature en examinant trois influences contextuelles importantes sur les résultats liés à l'adiposité chez les enfants. Ces environnements ont été caractérisés de façon objective, en opérationnalisant leurs principales caractéristiques et en utilisant des approches statistiques novatrices. Les résultats appuient le concept que la prévention de l'obésité et les efforts visants à accroître l'AP devraient inclure la prise en compte des EB et sociaux et devraient cibler les multiples facteurs qui favorisent des comportements sains chez les enfants. / Background: Paediatric obesity is a global public health concern. In order to identify potential population-based intervention and prevention strategies, environmental contexts are being investigated in relation to childhood obesity and antecedent behaviours, including physical activity (PA). However, to date, findings in the area have been inconsistent. Purpose: The overarching goal of this thesis is to investigate the association between features of parks, school and neighbourhood environments in relation to adiposity-related outcomes. Specifically: 1) To group and characterize parks by their salient features and to determine if certain park “types” are associated with PA and adiposity outcomes; 2) To characterise schools by their predominant built and social environmental features for PA and to explore associations between school features and PA in cross-sectional and prospective analyses; 3) To determine if theoretically walkable features of the neighbourhood built environment are associated with 24-hour movement behaviours (sleep, sedentary behaviour, light physical activity (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)) in cross-sectional and prospective analyses. Methods: Data were drawn from the QUALITY Cohort, a Quebec-based study of 630 children age 8-10 years at baseline with a parental history of obesity. Baseline park, residential and school environments of 512 participants living in the Montreal Metropolitan Area were characterised. Data included geographically linked census and administrative data and in-person observations. Questionnaires were completed by school principals or physical education teachers. PA was measured at baseline and follow up using self-reported questionnaires and by accelerometer. Sedentary time was measured at baseline and follow up using accelerometers while sleep time was calculated as the time the accelerometer was not worn. Body fat was measured using a DXA at baseline. Overweight and obesity was identified using body mass index computed from measured weight and height at baseline and follow up. Analyses included principal component analysis, cluster analysis, linear and logistic regression, generalized estimating equations and compositional data analysis. Results: Findings point to specific features of parks, schools and theoretically walkable neighbourhood features that are associated with adiposity-related outcomes in the youth participants. Notably, certain types of parks that provide opportunities for unstructured play and a variety of physical activities are associated with self-reported PA while aesthetically pleasing parks are also associated with body fat. Schools that provide opportunities for unstructured play and that promote PA are associated with accelerometer measured PA, and the associations are different between boys and girls. Lastly, theoretically walkable neighbourhood features are associated with an increase in MVPA and a slight decrease in sleep, sedentary time and LPA over a 24-hour period among girls only. Conclusion: This thesis contributes to the literature by considering three important contextual influences on children’s adiposity-related outcomes: parks, school and the residential environment. This is done by objectively characterizing these environments, by operationalising key characteristics of them, and by using innovative statistical approaches. Findings support the notion that obesity prevention and efforts to increase PA should include the consideration and modification of built and social environments and should target the multiple population-level factors that support healthy behaviours among children.