This study aims to describe and analyze changes over time in the degree of relative crowding in preschools within the urban area of a medium-sized city in the northern part of Sweden – and does so by examining the size of the available open space per child. Further, this work explores the spatial variation of open space dimensioning in relation to the urban center in order to decide whether shrinking of children’s open space should be considered to be limited to the major metropolitan areas of Sweden. With the basis in an assumption of increasing competition over land as a consequence of neoliberal governance and densification as strategies to promote urban growth, it’s hypothesized from recent literature that these ambitions increasingly risk confining children’s right to adequate areas of open space for outdoor play. Using a combination of quantitative approaches of analysis, with the use of regression analysis the study concluded that the coefficient of the independent variable Building age is positive, and therefore matches the expected direction. However, no statistically significant linear relationship was observed even with the use of relevant variables – highlighting a complex relationship surrounding the understanding and prediction of land use in general and urban open space in particular. A comparison of mean values using grouping based on both the aspect of time and centrality found that preschools built after 1998 generally contains 0,85 m2 larger open space per child than those built before 1987, whereas preschools within the urban center had 6,18 m2 larger open space per child than those located in more peripheral locations. When controlling for the share of preschools that undercuts and exceeds the recommendations related to dimensioning of open space communicated by the Swedish National Board of Housing, Building and Planning, units within the city center was found to meet these recommendations to a greater extent. Preschools built after 1998 seem to be more prevalent among units that undercuts the said recommendations. The results call for further research within this field of study in order to determine whether or not children’s shrinking open space can be limited to be a phenomenon encompassing solely major metropolitan areas.

Le présent mémoire se penche sur la diminution des espaces ouverts en Israël, un problème environnemental considéré comme l’un des plus importants par les organisations environnementales de ce pays. La situation est particulièrement préoccupante depuis le début des années 1990 alors que la superficie occupée par ces espaces s’est réduite significativement. Les craintes liées à cette évolution se sont traduites par l’implantation de plans nationaux d’aménagement visant expressément à concentrer le développement futur du pays au sein des quatre principales régions métropolitaines (Tel-Aviv, Jérusalem, Haïfa, Beer-Sheva) de manière à préserver de façon optimale les espaces ouverts restants. Plusieurs facteurs sont responsables de cette perte d’espaces ouverts. Ainsi, l’un des objectifs cet ouvrage consiste à identifier ces facteurs de même qu’à analyser dans quelle mesure ils ont influé. Par ailleurs, ce mémoire fait le point sur l’évolution de la superficie des espaces ouverts au fil des années. Finalement, le dernier chapitre aborde les enjeux actuels quant à la conservation des espaces ouverts israéliens et souligne quelques solutions proposées afin d’accroître leur protection pour le futur. Afin de dresser un portrait complet de la situation, la période étudiée s’étend de 1948, année de fondation de l’État d’Israël, à 2010. / This research examines the loss of open space in Israel, one of the most acute environmental problems facing this country, according to several Israeli environmental organizations. This situation is peculiarly ominous since the beginning of the 1990s while the area occupied by open space has decreased significantly. Fears linked to the proliferation of built area have led to the implementation of national outline plans (NOP 31, NOP 35) which aim specifically to concentrate future development into the main metropolitan regions (Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheba) to ensure that the remaining open spaces will be protected optimally. Several factors are responsible for the loss of open space in Israel. Thus, one of the research objectives is to identify and analyze how these factors have influenced the extent of open spaces. Furthermore, this research provides an update of the open spaces’ evolution over the years. Finally, the last chapter discusses the current issues regarding open space as well as some solutions to enhance its protection. In order to obtain a thorough picture of the situation, the temporal field of this study spans from 1948, founding year of the State of Israel, to 2010.

Le présent mémoire se penche sur la diminution des espaces ouverts en Israël, un problème environnemental considéré comme l’un des plus importants par les organisations environnementales de ce pays. La situation est particulièrement préoccupante depuis le début des années 1990 alors que la superficie occupée par ces espaces s’est réduite significativement. Les craintes liées à cette évolution se sont traduites par l’implantation de plans nationaux d’aménagement visant expressément à concentrer le développement futur du pays au sein des quatre principales régions métropolitaines (Tel-Aviv, Jérusalem, Haïfa, Beer-Sheva) de manière à préserver de façon optimale les espaces ouverts restants. Plusieurs facteurs sont responsables de cette perte d’espaces ouverts. Ainsi, l’un des objectifs cet ouvrage consiste à identifier ces facteurs de même qu’à analyser dans quelle mesure ils ont influé. Par ailleurs, ce mémoire fait le point sur l’évolution de la superficie des espaces ouverts au fil des années. Finalement, le dernier chapitre aborde les enjeux actuels quant à la conservation des espaces ouverts israéliens et souligne quelques solutions proposées afin d’accroître leur protection pour le futur. Afin de dresser un portrait complet de la situation, la période étudiée s’étend de 1948, année de fondation de l’État d’Israël, à 2010. / This research examines the loss of open space in Israel, one of the most acute environmental problems facing this country, according to several Israeli environmental organizations. This situation is peculiarly ominous since the beginning of the 1990s while the area occupied by open space has decreased significantly. Fears linked to the proliferation of built area have led to the implementation of national outline plans (NOP 31, NOP 35) which aim specifically to concentrate future development into the main metropolitan regions (Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheba) to ensure that the remaining open spaces will be protected optimally. Several factors are responsible for the loss of open space in Israel. Thus, one of the research objectives is to identify and analyze how these factors have influenced the extent of open spaces. Furthermore, this research provides an update of the open spaces’ evolution over the years. Finally, the last chapter discusses the current issues regarding open space as well as some solutions to enhance its protection. In order to obtain a thorough picture of the situation, the temporal field of this study spans from 1948, founding year of the State of Israel, to 2010.