With the global population becoming more urban and less rural, increasingly research has argued for concepts such as establish Green Infrastructure (GI) as a tool for enhancing wildlife survival and human’s living quality (e.g. Harrison et al., 1995; Benedict and McMahon, 2006). However, an interdisciplinary planning approach underpinned by ecological and social evidence has not yet been fully developed. This research therefore seeks to integrate an ecological network with a green space planning standard by exploring the use of biotope and sociotope mapping methods. Seeking a comprehensive planning that takes all green resources into account, a green space typology is firstly developed according to Taiwanese contexts for identifying green spaces from land use maps. In order to specify effective features of these green spaces to bird survival and user preferences, an insight was conducted into the relationship of ‘birds and urban habitats’, as well as ‘human preferred urban green spaces’ in Taipei City. Important environmental factors influencing bird distribution and influencing human experiences in urban green spaces are respectively specified and developed into an ecological value index (EVI) to detail potential habitats and a social value index (SVI) to evaluate recreational green space provision. Interestingly, proximity to green space appears to plays a more critical role in human preferences than bird survival in Taipei city; size is important both as a habitat and for creating an attractive green space; and green space quality tends to be a more significant factor than its structure for both wildlife and people. Utilising the bio-sociotope maps, this thesis argues for a number of strategies: conserving, enlarging, or creating large green spaces in green space deficient areas; increasing ecological and recreational value by enhancing green space quality of specific characteristics; and tackling gravity distance by combining green space accessibility and attractiveness in optimising urban green structure. As these suggestions are a challenge to apply in intensively developed urban areas, barriers from land use, political mechanisms, technical shortages, and cultural characteristics are also explored with possible resolutions presented for facilitating implementation. It is clear that optimising a multifunctional GI for both wildlife and people requires interdisciplinary knowledge and cooperation from various fields. The EVI and SVI developed within this thesis create the potential for a more place-specific and quantifiable green spaces strategy to help better link ecological and social functions in urban areas.

Le besoin grandissant pour une planification urbaine plus durable et pour des interventions publiques visant à l'amélioration du bien-être collectif, ont grandement contribué à un engouement pour les espaces verts. Les parcs sont reconnus pour leur impact positif en zone urbaine dense, et nous sommes intéressés par l'application des concepts théoriques du domaine de la recherche opérationnelle pour assister les décideurs publics afin d'améliorer l'accessibilité, la distribution et la conception des parcs. Étant donné le contexte, nous sommes particulièrement motivés par le concept d'équité, et étudions le comportement des usagers des parcs à l'aide d'un modèle d'interaction spatiale, tel qu'appliqué dans les problèmes d'emplacement d'installations dans un marché compétitif. Dans cette recherche, nous présentons un modèle d'emplacement d'installations à deux étapes pouvant être adapté pour assister les décideurs publics à l'échelle de la ville. Nous étudions spécifiquement l'application aux espaces verts urbains, mais soulignons que des extensions du modèle peuvent permettre d'aborder d'autres problèmes d'emplacements d'installations sujets à des enjeux d'équité. La première étape de notre problème d'optimisation a pour but d'évaluer l'allocation la plus équitable du budget de la ville aux arrondissements, basé sur une somme du budget pondérée par des facteurs d'équité. Dans la deuxième étape du modèle, nous cherchons l'emplacement et la conception optimale des parcs, et l'objectif consiste à maximiser la probabilité totale que les individus visitent les parcs. Étant donné la non-linéarité de la fonction objective, nous appliquons une méthode de linéarisation et obtenons un modèle de programmation linéaire mixte en nombres entiers, pouvant être résolu avec des solveurs standards. Nous introduisons aussi une méthode de regroupement pour réduire la taille du problème, et ainsi trouver des solutions quasi optimales dans un délai raisonnable. Le modèle est testé à l'aide de l'étude de cas de la ville de Montréal, Canada, et nous présentons une analyse comparative des résultats afin de justifier la performance de notre modèle. / The recent promotion of sustainable urban planning combined with a growing need for public interventions to improve well-being and health in dense urban areas have led to an increased collective interest for green spaces. Parks have proven a wide range of benefits in urban areas, and we are interested in the application of theoretical concepts from the field of Operations Research to assist decision-makers to improve parks' accessibility, distribution and design. Given the context of public decision-making, we are particularly concerned with the concept of fairness, and are focused on an advanced assessment of users' behavior using a spatial interaction model (SIM) as in competitive facility locations' frameworks. In this research, we present a two-stage fair facility location and design (2SFFLD) model, which serves as a template model to assist public decision-makers at the city-level for the urban green spaces (UGSs) planning. We study the application of the 2SFFLD model to UGSs, but emphasize the potential extension to other applications to location problems concerned with fairness and equity. The first-stage of the optimization problem is about the optimal budget allocation based on a total fair-weighted budget formula. The second-stage seeks the optimal location and design of parks, and the objective consists of maximizing the total expected probability of individuals visiting parks. Given the non-linearity of the objective function, we apply a ``Method-based Linearization'' and obtain a mixed-integer linear program that can be solved with standard solvers. We further introduce a clustering method to reduce the size of the problem and determine a close to optimal solution within reasonable time constraints. The model is tested using the case study of the city of Montreal, Canada, and comparative results are discussed in detail to justify the performance of the model.

Forskning har framhävt problematiken som kan uppstå när tillgången och kvaliteten på grönytor intill bostadsområdet inte anpassats efter medborgarnas behov. Om användarens intressen och värderingar kring vad som anses vara en kvalitativ grönyta förbises, kan många hälsoaspekter kopplade till vistelsen bland grönytor försummas. För att stadsplanerare ska kunna avgöra vilka kvalitativa aspekter som intressegrupper värderar har medborgardialoger blivit ett användbart verktyg. Dessvärre upplever inte alla medborgare sig som delaktiga i planeringen.  Syftet med uppsatsen är att undersöka hur medborgare i Malmös delområden Herrgården, Kronprinsen och Bellevue upplever tillgången och kvaliteten på grönytor utifrån ett rättviseperspektiv. Uppsatsen ämnar även undersöka om upplevelsen av delaktighet och inflytande skiljer sig mellan olika socioekonomiska grupper i förhållande till planeringen av grönyta och i så fall varför? Det teoretiska ramverket utgår från den rumsliga rättvisan och miljörättvisan. Metoderna som används är en demografisk undersökning av delområdena, en enkätundersökning om malmöbornas värderingar av grönytor samt intervjuer med medborgare och tjänsteperson om kvalitativa grönytor. Resultatet indikerar att upplevelsen av tillgång och kvalitet på grönytor skiljer sig åt mellan de olika delområdena. Även upplevelsen av delaktighet och inflytande i planeringen av grönytor skiljer sig åt mellan olika socioekonomiska grupper på grund av förväntan, medvetenhet, inkomst och kunskap. / Research has highlighted the problems that can arise when the availability and quality of green spaces next to the residential area have not been adapted to the needs of citizens. If the user's interests and values of what is considered a qualitative green space are overlooked, many health aspects linked to the usage of green spaces can be neglected. For city planners to be able to determine which qualitative aspects interest groups value, citizen dialogues have become a useful tool. Unfortunately, not all citizens feel involved in the planning. The purpose of the thesis is to investigate how citizens in Malmö's sub-areas Herrgården, Kronprinsen, and Bellevue experience the availability and quality of green spaces from a justice perspective. The thesis also intends to investigate whether the experience of participation and influence differs between different socio-economic groups in relation to the planning of green space and if so, why? The theoretical framework is based on spatial justice and environmental justice. The methods used are demographic surveys of the sub-areas, a survey of Malmö residents' values ​​of green spaces and interviews with citizens, and an official survey about qualitative green spaces. The results indicate that the experience of access and quality of green areas differs between the different sub-areas. The experience of participation and influence in the planning of green spaces also differs between different socio-economic groups due to expectation, awareness, income, and knowledge.

With increasing trends in global migration and urbanization causing human health issues such as psychological stress, context-sensitive planning and strategizing for outdoor nature-based interventions, such as urban green spaces (UGS), paves way for sustainable and socially just cities and communities. This study aims to explore and identify this context in regard to immigrants in Sweden through triangulation of collected data involving participants’ perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors toward migration, urban green spaces, and human health in the framework of the perceived restorative qualities of Kaplan & Kaplan’s Attention Restoration Theory (ART). Methods for data collection included an online survey and perceived restorativeness (PRS) test administered to 100 respondents, and semi-structured interviews, photovoice storytelling, and a similar PRS test to 18 interviewees. The collected data was analyzed through mixed methods. Quantitative data analysis was performed using descriptive analysis and the Kruskal-Wallis test to detect significant differences of PRS test results of survey respondents in regard to aspects of their migration background and UGS perspectives. Qualitative data analysis was performed using thematic analysis on data collected from the interviewees resulting to five identified main themes. Furthermore, results from both qualitative and quantitative analyses are interpreted through a reconstruction of narratives of potential UGS beneficiaries. Findings have shown evidence of migration-related experiences, memories, and lifestyles as main factors of current attitudes and behaviors toward UGS, and consequently affecting maximization of intended UGS benefits. Air pollution and negative social experiences were shown to be main factors affecting participants’ wellbeing and frequency of UGS use. Water features, family-friendly orientation, and walkability in outdoor spaces were shown to be main preferences hinting at pathways of UGS toward improved human wellbeing. Despite the challenge of needing personal life context to enlighten socially just decision-making in the planning of urban outdoor spaces, the interconnectedness of perspectives of interview and survey participants with varying migration backgrounds through the reconstructed narratives shed light on pathways that urban planners can choose to focus on. / Denna studie utforskar migrationens och urbana grönområdens (UGS) kontext i Sverige, med fokus på invandrares uppfattningar, attityder och beteenden gentemot UGS och hälsa inom ramen för Kaplan & Kaplans Attention Restoration Theory (ART). Datainsamlingen inkluderade en online-enkät och ett test för upplevd återhämtning (PRS) som administrerades till 100 respondenter, samt semistrukturerade intervjuer, fotoberättelser och PRS-test till 18 intervjuade. Blandad metodanalys avslöjade migrationsrelaterade erfarenheter som nyckelfaktorer som påverkar UGS-användning och välbefinnande. Preferenser inkluderade vatteninslag, familjevänliga områden och gångvänlighet. Luftföroreningar och negativa sociala erfarenheter påverkade välbefinnandet och UGS-användningen negativt. Resultaten informerar om socialt rättvis stadsplanering.

Städte sind Hotspots des Globalen Wandels. Sie zählen über ihren Konsum und Ressourcenverbrauch zu den Haupttreibern des Klimawandels, der Biodiversitätskrise und sozio-ökonomischer Prozesse wie Urbanisierung und Demographischer Wandel. Gleichzeitig stellen diese Prozesse insbesondere für Städte eine große Herausforderung dar. Für die Anpassung an den Globalen Wandel spielen städtische Grünflächen als Werkzeug der Stadtplanung eine zentrale Rolle. Parks, Friedhöfe, Gärten, bis hin zu einzelnen Straßenbäumen stellen Ökosystemleistungen bereit, die einerseits, z.B. durch Abmilderung von hohen Temperaturen, die Umweltqualität verbessern und andererseits, z.B. durch die Bereitstellung von Erholungsräumen, einen direkten Einfluss auf das Wohlbefinden und die Aktivitäten der Stadtbevölkerung haben. Jedoch sind auch Grünflächen und deren Ökosystemleistungen, wie die gesamte Stadt an sich, hohen Belastungen durch die Folgen des Globalen Wandels ausgesetzt, z.B. durch Hitze, Trockenheit und Verdichtungsprozesse. Diese kumulative Dissertation zeigt, dass sich Form, Ausstattung und Lage einer Grünfläche unterschiedlich auf die Bereitstellung von verschiedenen Ökosystemleistungen auswirken. Während für die Kühlungsfunktion ein dichter Bestand von ausgewachsenen Bäumen entscheidend ist, spielt für die Erholungsfunktion einer Grünfläche eine ausgewogene Vegetationsstruktur, vielfältige (gebaute) Infrastruktur und eine gute Einbettung in die Umgebung eine zentrale Rolle. Die Arbeit formuliert schließlich Empfehlungen an die Stadtplanung für eine qualitative Aufwertung der Grünflächen im Hinblick auf eine bessere und gerechte Versorgung der Bevölkerung und eine größere Widerstandsfähigkeit gegenüber extremen Wetterereignissen. Eine im Rahmen dieser Arbeit entwickelte und frei zugängliche Online-Kartenanwendung kann dabei als ein unterstützendes Entscheidungsinstrument dienen und zukünftig auf andere Städte übertragen werden. / Cities are hotspots of global change. Through their consumption and resource use, cities are among the main drivers of climate change, the biodiversity crisis and socio-economic processes such as urbanisation and demographic change. At the same time, these processes represent a major challenge for cities. Extreme weather events caused by climate change, such as heat and heavy rain, often occur with greater intensity in densely populated areas and can potentially cause more damage to people and infrastructure there. For adaptation to global change, urban green spaces play a central role as a tool in urban planning. Green spaces or individual street trees provide ecosystem services that can improve, on the one hand, environmental quality, e.g. by mitigating high air temperatures, and, on the other hand, the health and well-being of the urban population, e.g. through the provision of recreational opportunities. However, green spaces and their ecosystem services are also exposed to high pressures from the impacts of global change such as extreme heat, drought and densification processes. This cumulative thesis shows that the form, equipment and location of a green space have different effects on the provision of different ecosystem services. While a dense stand of mature trees is crucial for the cooling function, a balanced vegetation structure, diverse (built) infrastructure and a good embedding in the surroundings play a central role for the recreational function of a green space. Finally, the thesis formulates recommendations for urban planning for a qualitative upgrading of green spaces with regard to a better and equitable provision for the population and a greater resilience to extreme weather events. An open access online map application developed as part of this thesis is intended to serve as a decision support tool and may be transferred to other case studies in the future.

I stadens förändringsprocess, ständigt präglad av nya ideal, ska många intressen förenas och beaktas vid utformningen av skolgårdar. Med utgångspunkt i naturens betydelse för barns hälsa och utveckling undersöker denna studie två skolgårdar i Malmö utifrån tre perspektiv: skolgårdarnas utformning, högstadieelevers användning av och preferenser på skolgården samt planerarens prioriteringar och tillvägagångssätt vid utformningen av skolgårdsmiljöer. Syftet är, genom förståelse för hur dessa tre perspektiv kan förenas, öka kunskapen kring hur skolgårdarna kan planeras mer socialt och ekologiskt hållbart i den föränderliga staden. Detta undersöks med en mixad metod genom platsobservationer, enkätundersökningar och intervjuer. Empirin påvisar en relativt passiv inställning till skolgården bland eleverna, oberoende av skolgårdens storlek och mängd grönska samt att de överlag prioriterar social interaktion och mobilanvändande på rasterna. Tolkningen av det empiriska materialet utifrån teorin tyder på att det är grönskans kvalitet som påverkar elevernas intresse för att ta del av miljön. Genom intervjuerna framkom det att utformningen av ett grönt ramverk som erbjuder olika rumsligheter kan bidra till en mer jämlik, inkluderande och hållbar skolgårdsmiljö. Den ideala skolgårdsmiljön, som kan anses vara en där naturen företräds, speglar dock inte nödvändigtvis elevernas uppfattning av den ideala skolgården. Elevernas preferenser kan däremot få ta plats inom det hållbara ramverket, genom aktiv gestaltning. / Within the city's transformative process, constantly tinged by new ideals, different interests must be united and considered in the planning and design of school grounds. Based on the importance of nature for children's health and development, this study examines two school grounds in Malmö from three perspectives: the school grounds design and shape, the use and preferences of the students on the school grounds, and the planner´s priorities and proceedings in planning school ground environments. The purpose is, through an understanding of how these three perspectives can unite, to increase knowledge on how school grounds can be planned more socially and ecologically sustainable in the transformative city. This is investigated with a mixed method through site observations, surveys and interviews. The empirical evidence shows a relatively passive relation to the school ground among the students, regardless of the school grounds size and amount of greenery, and generally they prioritize social interaction and mobile phone use during breaks. The interpretation of the empirical material, based on the theory, indicates that it is the quality of the greenery that affects the student’s interest in using the environment. Through the interviews, it emerged that the design of a green framework that offers different spatialities can contribute to a more equal, inclusive and sustainable school ground. The ideal environment of the school ground, which can be considered one that is characterized by natural environments, does not necessarily reflect the student's ideal of it. The students' preferences can however be accommodated within the sustainable framework through continuous design.