Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1991. / Also available in print.

This thesis examines the contribution of urban greenspace to public health and inequalities in young people. Taking a comprehensive, environmental justice approach variations in provision, access, use and experience of greenspace related to neighbourhood level inequalities are explored in relation to physical activity, mood and wellbeing in 16-25 year olds. The project used a three phased, mixed methods design via spatial mapping, real-time monitoring and community-based participatory research. The first phase used Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to conduct an analysis of the provision, accessibility and quality of public greenspace in Aberdeen City. Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation data were used explore and contrast these characteristics between areas categorised as affluent or deprived. The second phase used real-time measures to gather within-person data on greenspace use, physical activity, and mood in 16-25year olds over a seven day period, further exploring how socio-economic variations in good quality greenspace influenced the use and effect of greenspace. The third study phase used qualitative, community-based participatory research to empower young people to explore their experience and importance of greenspace for health. The results suggest a potential positive role of greenspace in public health in relation to increasing physical activity, decreasing sedentary behaviour and providing opportunities for restoration in young people. However, they also demonstrate that social inequalities are present in the provision of good quality greenspace and highlight that quality of greenspace and wider issues related to area level deprivation play a crucial role in the use and experience of greenspace, as well as the effect on physical activity and mood in young people. This has important implications for public health as the promotion of greenspace at a population level could deepen rather than improve health inequalities, by exposing those in affluent areas to health enhancing good quality greenspace and those in deprived areas to the potentially detrimental effects of poor quality greenspace.

Vita. / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

London 2012 was the 30th Olympiad, and the third time that London had hosted an Olympic Games. The rationale for hosting the Games was to undertake a large-scale regeneration of Stratford and the East London region. The research explored the experiences of community representatives who live and/or work in East London. The research was inductive and focused on the empirical findings of the research via a sociological lens. Three overarching research themes (urban regeneration, socioculturalism, governance and economics). The original contribution to knowledge relates to the limited amount of research previously conducted which take into account all three of these overarching themes. 19 semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed alongside official documents and newspapers using narrative thematic analysis and critical discourse analysis. Two main findings emerged from the analysis; Marginal Gains and the Ripple Effect. It is recognised that the positivity found throughout the presented narratives may have been present due to the time period in which the research was undertaken. Future research should focus on whether the time period has an influence on the experiences of community representatives and whether similar (economic and governance) is experienced by future host cities.

A growing number of nonmetropolitan communities have chosen to pursue nontraditional avenues for economic development including the promotion of the nonmetropolitan area to older adults who may choose to migrate after retirement. The purpose of this study was to help community leaders in nonmetropolitan areas make informed decisions if they choose to revitalize their town through the aid of immigration and retention of retirees, by knowing what infrastructure to plan for based on the neighborhood, housing, and support service preferences of future nonmetropolitan retirees. This prospective study compared two populations: preretirees who planned to migrate to nonmetropolitan areas during the first 10 years of retirement and preretirees who planned to age in place in nonmetropolitan areas upon retirement by (1) age integrated/ age segregated neighborhood preference; (2) housing tenure and structure preference; (3) support service preference of a hospital and/or family members; and (4) the socio-demographic variables of marital status, health status, current income level, and number of sources of retirement income. An age stratified random sample of preretirees from two states (N=1,175), Oregon and Utah, was included in the study. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics and chi-square and one t-test to test nine null hypotheses. Migrant respondents differed in their preference for neighborhoods with older residents (p=.00000), preference to rent (p=.00002), and tendency to feel that family in the community was important (p=.00031). Migrants differed significantly in their marital status (p=.01292), in that more were unmarried. With regard to health status (p=.02752), more age in place reported excellent and fair/poor health as opposed to migrants' very good and good health. Nonmetropolitan community leaders interested in economic revitalization through the attraction of and retention of elderly retirees may want to consider including in their community the following: housing that tends to be more age segregated than age integrated, single family dwellings that can be rented, a hospital, and formal support services that may be needed if the informal support of family and friends is not available. / Graduation date: 1995

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Peter Rees, Dept. of Geography. Includes bibliographical references.

This case study was designed to test the hypothosis that members of a residential community, when faced with a large scale development project, hold a broad range of opinions and ideas, rather than a single perspective. These opinions, drawn from a wide range of local experiences, represent a wealth of potential design ideas which may be lost if the development process assumes that public opinion is uniform and homogenous.Accordingly, research proceeded in meetings with the Collier Hills North neighborhood association with the purpose of ascertaining whether or not the the priorities of the community reflected in public meetings during development debate provided an accurate view of the preferences of neighborhood residents, due to the self-selecting nature of the population in attendance. After initial investigations into the perceived agenda of the residents of Collier Hills North regarding potential redevelopment issues surrounding the adjacent Colonial Homes apartment complex, the investigator prepared a survey instru-ment and delivered it in two stages; first, at a neighborhood association meeting, and sec-ondly via a door-to-door survey. Results of the suvey suggest that different priorities are placed on certain key issues by the self-selecting population that attended the meeting than the random sample of residents contacted by the interviewer during the second stage of the investigation. These differences exist in areas which could shape the framework of possible future discussions among residents, the developer and city hall regarding this potential redevelopment program. Results from the survey were then used to create a set of design priorities and strategies with the intention of balancing the needs of the interested parties.

Thesis (M.P.A.)--Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, 1995. / Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 45-06, page: 2950. Typescript. Abstract precedes thesis as preliminary leaves [1-3]. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-78).

Thesis (M. Arch.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Feb. 08, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 100-103).

Thesis (M.L.A.)--University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2009. / Open access. Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-102).