The objective of this study was to estimate the effects of various types of urban open space on single-family residential property values in the Tucson basin in 1986. The statistical results were mixed. Urban parks which emphasize recreational facilities decreased housing prices whereas private golf courses and natural open space areas increased property values. The negative impact on housing price appears to be the result of disamenities caused by recreational consumption (noise, traffic, congestion), and recreational facilities (blocked views). The positive impact on price seems to be a function of the benefits derived from such amenities as urban wildlife and scenic mountain and city views. Public decision-makers need values of urban natural amenities to make informed policy and management decisions. The implicit prices generated here are useful in assessing whether the market prices of homes are expressing the benefits of urban open space.

A RESEARCH REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF SCIENCE, UNIVERSITY OF THE WITWATERSRAND, JOHANNESBURG, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE. NOVEMBER 2015, JOHANNESBURG / Urban recreational parks are an essential component of cities as they contribute to sustainable cities, people’s lifestyle and well-being in general. It is therefore important to understand their level of use and how place attachment can be enhanced in order to increase utilization. This study evaluates the relationship between place attachment and level of use of Thokoza Park in Moroka, Soweto. Phenomenological research design was used where direct observation of use was complimented with interviews, survey questionnaires and photographs were used as tools to collect data. The study indicates that various aspects of Thokoza Park contribute to increased level of use and increased level of place attachment. These include the amenities provided for users, the level of safety, maintenance and accessibility. The key finding is that there is a circular relationship between level of use and place attachment. Key recommendation is that it is important to understand the social dynamics of the adjoining communities as this would also influence the use or non-use of urban recreational parks.

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.

Esta dissertação versa sobre paisagem urbana e estuda a importância da vegetação de porte existente no sistema de espaços livres das subprefeituras de Santo Amaro e Cidade Ademar, zona sul da cidade de São Paulo. A escolha da área como objeto de estudo justifica-se pela extrema diversidade das faixas de renda e dos tecidos urbanos encontrados, que vão desde áreas ocupadas por população de média e alta renda à áreas populares e industriais, compreendendo ainda as bordas da represa Billings. Estas possuem baixa qualidade dos seus espaços livres públicos existentes mesmo em pontos de alta renda, contradição bastante comum à cidade brasileira. Dentro de tal cenário, encontram-se algumas das zonas mais e menos arborizadas da cidade (Chácara Flora e Americanópolis, respectivamente), sendo esta característica o principal qualificador a ser abordado na análise do espaço. / This urban landscape dissertation is about the relevance of tall sized vegetation in Santo Amaro and Cidade Ademar subprefectures, south zone of São Paulo. The choice of the subject area is justified by extreme diversity of income classes and urban fabrics that can be found there, from zones occupied by middle and high income classes to low income neighbourhoods, industrial areas and the Billings reservoir\'s margins. There\'s a low quality of open spaces, even in high income zones, a common contradiction in Brazilian cities. In this context, some of the most and less arborized zones of the city can be found (Chácara Flora and Americanópolis, respectively) and this is the major qualifying aspect to be studied in the given space analysis.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 64). / Because the population density is so high and people need interior spaces so urgently, the open spaces in Taiwan are always limited to the minimum acceptable standards, set by regulations. Open spaces are not considered as important urban components, and are usually misused, and, in addition, regulations-in Taiwan put emphasis on the control of the quantity rather than the quality of the spaces. The issues of land utilization concerning encroachment, physical controls and maintenance are critical and require careful scrutiny with regard to open spaces. The study analyzes the existing land utilization of the open spaces in the residential areas of Taipei and compares it to the current regulations. The objectives are: 1) To determine the reasons for the mismatches between the existing environment and the "legal environment" resulting from the regulations, and 2) To acquire feedback from the environment concerning revisions of the regulations. The intent throughout is to be descriptive and expositive rather than critical. / M.S.

Thesis. 1979. M.Arch--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography: p. 104-107. / by Karen Barned, Mary Griffin. / M.Arch

Orientador: Maria Solange Gurgel de Castro Fontes / Banca: João Roberto Gomes de Faria / Banca: Lucila Chebel Labaki / Resumo: A sensação de conforto térmico experimentada pelos usuários de espaços abertos de lazer, como praças, parques, bosques, entre outros, pode afetar positiva ou negativamente a quantidade de usuários, atividades desenvolvidas, além do tempo de permanência das pessoas. No entanto, essa relação entre conforto térmico e tempo de permanência ainda é pouco estudada, fato que justifica a importância desta pesquisa, que busca investigar essa relação em um espaço aberto de lazer. O estudo foi desenvolvido em um parque Zoológico, na cidade de Bauru-SP, através da coleta de dados objetivos (medições microclimáticas e quantificação de pessoas), e subjetivos (aplicação de questionários) em dois subespaços com mesma atratividade (área de felinos) e diferentes Fatores de Visão do Céu (FVC), em duas condições de tempo, quente e ameno. Esses dados permitiram identificar os Votos de Sensação Real (ASV), calcular o índice PET (Temperatura Equivalente Fisiológica), verificar a preferência térmica dos usuários e registrar o tempo de permanência em cada subespaço, nas condições de tempo analisadas. Os resultados evidenciam a estreita relação entre FVC e o tempo de permanência em determinado espaço. Destaca-se ainda: 1. Maior frequência de sensação térmica de conforto dos usuários na área com maior sombreamento, nas condições de tempo quente, e frequências de sensação térmica equivalentes nos dois subespaços em condições de tempo ameno. 2. Nas condições de tempo quente, permanência de curta duração d... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The sensation of thermal comfort experienced by the users of leisure open places, such as squares, parks, woods, among others, may positively or negatively affect the amount of users, developed activities, and permanency time of people. However, this relation between thermal comfort and exposure time is still poorly studied, fact that justifies the importancy of this research, that seeks to investigate this relation in an leisure open place. The study was developed in a Zoo Park, in Bauru-SP, trough objective data collect (microclimatic measurements and quantification of people), and subjective data collect (questionnaires application) in two subspaces with the same attractiveness (feline area) and different Sky View Factors (SVF), under two weather conditions, hot and mild. These data allowed to indentify the Actual Sensation Votes (ASV), to calculate the PET index (Physiological Equivalent Temperature), verify the thermal preference of the users and record the exposure time in each subspace, under the microclimatic conditions analyzed. The results show the narrow relation between SVF and the exposure time in a given space. It also shows: 1. Higher frequency of thermal sensation of comfort of the users in the area with greater shading, in hot weather conditions, and equivalent thermal sensation frequencies in the two subspaces in mild weather conditions. 2. In hot weather conditions, permanency of short duration of the users in the areas of high incidence of direct solar rad... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1982. / MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES AND ROTCH. / Bibliography: p. 98. / by Nora Cecilia Aristizabal. / M.S.

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Mosques are established as physical manifestations of Islam and its cultural identity in every settlement in Malaysia, including in urban areas. The original concept of the mosque suggests that its use as a community place should be all-encompassing, not only for Muslims, but also to inspire the involvement of other community members. In spite of far-reaching studies conducted on the importance of mosque architecture, historical background and functions, very little attention has been paid to the utilisation, functions and importance of mosque open spaces to the multicultural community. This study aims to explore the spatial and sociocultural factors of urban mosque open spaces in order to determine the extent to which intercultural space exists within them. The study focuses on three urban mosques at the national, district and sub-district levels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Guided by theory of place and the concepts of affordance and social affordance, this study employs a mixed method strategy with a cross-sectional design. It comprises both quantitative – systematic observation with behaviour mapping at selected urban mosques – and qualitative – focus group discussions with mosque managers and multicultural users – methods, as well as findings with regard to the use of mosque open spaces that were derived from social media sources such as Facebook and blogs. The findings show that more multicultural users utilise the National Mosque open spaces in comparison to those at district and sub-district mosques. Patterns were identified in the spatial occupancies based on gender, age group, ethnicity and activities at all of the urban mosque open spaces studied. People‟s identification of their favourite open spaces and preference for outdoor activities, as well as the current condition and design of the mosque open spaces, influences the utilisation of urban mosque open spaces by multicultural users. Both opportunities and challenges may arise in relation to multicultural use in the form of public friendliness, accessibility, community sensitivity and mosque etiquette. This study highlights several factors that encourage better intercultural interaction at mosque open spaces: good social activities; the good design, facilities and accessibility of mosque open spaces; proper promotion, publicity and education; and social acceptance among community members.