Integrating green or blue space into cities can provide environmental and public health benefits which maximize urban sustainability. One type of green/blue infrastructure that has been understudied is urban stormwater ponds, which are used to manage stormwater runoff. Their performance is typically only evaluated in terms of hydrological functions, with little focus on their capacity to provide ancillary benefits to communities. In this exploratory study, an online survey was distributed to six neighbourhoods in the City of Ottawa, ON to gain insight into the social value of urban stormwater ponds. The results revealed that despite some disadvantages, most respondents visited their neighbourhood stormwater ponds regularly and largely appreciated the cultural ecosystem services provided by these ponds, such as opportunities for experiencing nature, especially wildlife, and outdoor recreation. These findings can be used to improve the multifunctionality of stormwater ponds and optimize both environmental and social sustainability outcomes.

Where people choose to live is a consequence of a variety of factors, such as housing cost, design, localization and personal considerations. Urban blue spaces provide a range of perceived benefits to nearby inhabitants and is generally seen as attractive traits for an area, influencing housing cost and demographics amongst other things. This has implications for socioeconomic spatial distribution, and thus the city could also be viewed as a map of socioeconomic variation. This paper seeks to examine the socioeconomic spatial variation in the city of Karlstad in relation to urban blue spaces. Using publicly available statistics for 23 different areas of the city, this variation is visualised in a series of maps and tables. Two models, one using average income and one using a proposed local socioeconomic index, are devised and used to estimate the impact of blue spaces on socioeconomic spatial variation in Karlstad. Results show a significant socioeconomic variation between different areas. Certain areas score high and certain areas score low in every category of the socioeconomic index, painting the picture of a socioeconomically divided city. The models used are proven to be inaccurate. Although the four areas with the lowest average income are all located in zones furthest from blue spaces, no evidence indicate that high and medium high average income areas, nor areas with high socioeconomic index, generally are located in closer proximity to blue spaces. Findings imply that socioeconomic spatial variation in Karlstad cannot be reduced to blue spaces and is a complex area of further research.

Physical inactivity and disconnection from natural environments threatens human health. However, research has demonstrated that natural environments potentially support health-enhancing physical activity which could confer greater physical and mental health benefits than physical activity in other types of environment. This thesis approached the study of physical activity in natural environments through three related pieces of research. Firstly, an experimental study was carried out to explore how the presence of litter in beach environments affected psychophysiological responses to exercise. Responses to exercise did not differ in littered and clean conditions but there was evidence that order effects influenced findings. Visual attention to the two scenes differed, but did not mediate differences in psychophysiological responses. Secondly, analysis of a national dataset was undertaken to explore the form and quantity of physical activity conducted within natural environments in England. A series of linear regressions revealed that higher-intensity physical activities occurred in countryside environments, but more total energy expenditure occurred in coastal environments. Thirdly, a quantitative content analysis of brochures which promote recreational walking in natural environments was conducted which investigated their use of persuasive behavioural messages. These brochures omitted behavioural techniques which may be effective at motivating inactive individuals to walk. Extending this, an online survey tested whether improving brochure content heightened intentions to walk in natural environments. By designing content based on the theory of planned behaviour, the intentions of inactive individuals to undertake walking in natural environments were increased. The findings from this thesis demonstrate that the protection of natural environments is vital for preserving and promoting active recreation and could contribute to population-level increases in physical activity with theory-based promotion in the future.