ABSTRACT The manner in which we design and build our communities can affect our physical and mental health. When we think about urban planning, we reflect on the form and arrangement of community, of urban, city and town planning. Urban form looks at the integration of land use and explores a complex range of the built and social environment: the environment, infrastructure, people, form and economics. The research recognizes cultural behaviours and activity patterns that affect air quality and environmental conditions; a lack of physical activity, community cohesion, highlights safety issues, and places individuals at risk for health illness. The research evaluates the built form of the neighbourhood community and asks ‘What are the attributes of a healthy community’? The research will verify the extent to which the neighbourhoods selected in the study replicate these attributes and focus on how these neighbourhoods could be improved from a ‘healthy city’ perspective. Key urban form features related to healthy communities focus on the relationship between land use mix, network connectivity and street design, site design, and density. Sustainable planning of communities and efficient land use planning are relevant to healthy communities with the trend towards increasing population density. While the research reinforces the connection between built form and public health planning, it also provides future direction for urban form policy; with improvements towards street connectivity, non-motorized transportation, expansion of regional trail and cycle networks, increasing transit access, encouraging mixed land use and greater land density to shorten travel distances. The research provides a basis for future studies in Canadian growth policy and healthy neighbourhood form, with significance as a Southwestern Ontario study.

ABSTRACT The manner in which we design and build our communities can affect our physical and mental health. When we think about urban planning, we reflect on the form and arrangement of community, of urban, city and town planning. Urban form looks at the integration of land use and explores a complex range of the built and social environment: the environment, infrastructure, people, form and economics. The research recognizes cultural behaviours and activity patterns that affect air quality and environmental conditions; a lack of physical activity, community cohesion, highlights safety issues, and places individuals at risk for health illness. The research evaluates the built form of the neighbourhood community and asks ‘What are the attributes of a healthy community’? The research will verify the extent to which the neighbourhoods selected in the study replicate these attributes and focus on how these neighbourhoods could be improved from a ‘healthy city’ perspective. Key urban form features related to healthy communities focus on the relationship between land use mix, network connectivity and street design, site design, and density. Sustainable planning of communities and efficient land use planning are relevant to healthy communities with the trend towards increasing population density. While the research reinforces the connection between built form and public health planning, it also provides future direction for urban form policy; with improvements towards street connectivity, non-motorized transportation, expansion of regional trail and cycle networks, increasing transit access, encouraging mixed land use and greater land density to shorten travel distances. The research provides a basis for future studies in Canadian growth policy and healthy neighbourhood form, with significance as a Southwestern Ontario study.

Increasing criticism by a number of professional fields, including planning, indicates that there is a decline in public health because of poor urban planning practices cannot be ignored. This research examines to what extent urban planning has contributed to the current health level of citizens, and explores how development policies address the criticism that urban planners are encouraging developments with limited opportunities that promote an inactive lifestyle. The findings show policy tools currently available for planners in Winnipeg to use are inadequate to ensure that all new developments conform to the healthy communities philosophy, and despite the limited guidance from planning legislation, the community of Seven Oaks has succeeded in implementing several healthy community initiatives. These initiatives are successful because of partnerships created between agencies, communication with the public, and most importantly, the passion by the stakeholders to develop healthier living opportunities within their community…

Increasing criticism by a number of professional fields, including planning, indicates that there is a decline in public health because of poor urban planning practices cannot be ignored. This research examines to what extent urban planning has contributed to the current health level of citizens, and explores how development policies address the criticism that urban planners are encouraging developments with limited opportunities that promote an inactive lifestyle. The findings show policy tools currently available for planners in Winnipeg to use are inadequate to ensure that all new developments conform to the healthy communities philosophy, and despite the limited guidance from planning legislation, the community of Seven Oaks has succeeded in implementing several healthy community initiatives. These initiatives are successful because of partnerships created between agencies, communication with the public, and most importantly, the passion by the stakeholders to develop healthier living opportunities within their community…

Les analyses spatiales et statistiques ont été réalisées avec les logiciels ArcView et SPSS / Ayant la contradiction entre le développement urbain et la conservation environnementale comme problématique, la stratification socioeconomique et spatiale emèrge comme champ privilegié d’investigation au sujet des indicateurs de durabilité urbaine. Cela constitue une des raisons du choix de la ville de Maringá comme terrain de recherche. La question de cette étude est de savoir quels sont les indicateurs durabilité urbaine permettant de dégager les quartiers plus proches de l’équilibre entre la qualité de vie humaine et l’équilibre de l’environnement, tout en tenant comme hypothèse de fond le lien entre la durabilité du développement et la conscience d’appartenance sociale et environnementale. En suivant une approche épidémiologique non anthropocentrique, cette recherche contribue à la discussion de la durabilité urbaine en offrant un cadre théorique et un modèle systémique pour la construction d’indicateurs de durabilité urbaine. L’application des indicateurs montre une classification de durabilité urbaine divergente de la stratification socio-economique mises en évidence par l’IDH. Cette classification, vérifiée au moyen de corrélation s multiples d’indices, dont l’empreinte écologique, l’indice de satisfaction de revenu, l’indice d’intégration sociale, les habitudes de santé et le poids santé, à l’échelle de deux aires échantillonnées dans les quartiers Conjunto Residencial Inocente Villanova Júnior et Zona 05. Les résultats suggèrent que le revenu a une forte influence sur l’empreinte écologique des familles, cependant, 10% des cas montrent la possibilité d’avoir une empreinte durable tout en ayant un revenu familial elevé. D’autres études se montrent nécessaires pour affiner le modèle proposé. / The aim of this research is to contrast the effects of urban development with environmental conservation practices. The investigation focuses on socio-economic segregation and its impact on sustainability, as measured by specific sustainability indicators. The city of Maringa in Central Brazil was selected as a case study, applying a targeted analysis to certain neighbourhoods. The study set out to determine which urban sustainability indicators are most appropriate to identify those neighbourhoods with the most sustainable practices and life-styles, assuming a fundamental link between sustainability practices and awareness of social and environmental responsibility. Using a epidemiological, but not anthopocentric, approach, this research contributes to and enriches the urban sustainability discourse by proposing a theoretical framework and model for the systemic construction of viable urban sustainability indicators. Applying these indicators to demographic and socio-economic data analysis results in a way of assessing urban sustainability that diverges from the socio-economic stratification approach of the HDI. This approach to sustainability assessment is validated through being applied to two sample areas of Maringa: the neighbourhoods of Conjunto Residencial Inocente Villanova Júnior and of Zona 05, using corrélations between ecological footprint, satisfaction index, social integration index, residents' health habits and body weight. Results suggest that income has a strong influence on household ecological footprint. However, in 10 % of cases a sustainable footprint is possible even in households with high incomes. Additional studies are recommended to refine the proposed model. / Tendo como problemática a contradição entre o desenvolvimento urbano e a conservação ambiental, a estratificação socio-econômica emerge como um campo privilegiado para o estudo da durabilidade do nível de vida. Esta é uma das razões que levaram à escolher Maringá como caso de pesquisa. A questão é saber quais indicadores de sustentabilidade urbana permitem identificar os bairros mais proximos do equilíbrio entre qualidade de vida humana e equilibrio ecológico. A hipótese de fundo supõe uma relação entre a sustentabilidade e uma consciência de interdependência socio-ambiental. Utilisando uma abordagem épidemiológica não anthropocêntrica, esta pesquisa contribui com o debate sobre a sustentabilidade urbana oferecendo um cadro téorico e um modelo sistémico para a construção de indicadores de durabilidade urbana, propondo e examinando alguns indicadores. Os resultados mostram uma classificação de sustentabilidade que diverge da estratificação socio-econômica evidenciadas pelo IDH. Esta classificação, verificada na escala dos bairros amostrados, Conjunto Residencial Inocente Villanova Junior e Zona 05, utilizando a análise estatística de correlação entre os indices de pegada ecológica, satisfação de renda, integração social, habitos de saúde e massa corporal identificam uma forte influência entre a renda e a pegada ecológica. Porém, 10% das famílias mostram que é possível reduzir a pegada ecológica a um valor sustentável mesmo obtendo renda familiar de até 3000 reais. Os resultados apontam a necessidade de outros dados para afinar o modelo proposto.

Many serious illnesses are linked to everyday exposures to toxic chemicals. In the U.S., most chemical exposure comes from common consumer products such as pesticides, fragranced products, cleaning supplies, and building materials--products so widely used that people consider them "safe." As the links between everyday toxic exposures and potential health effects become better understood, evidence increasingly shows that reducing exposures can create a healthier society. Although some individuals may choose to build a healthy home and maintain a healthy household, they are still exposed to pollutants at their residences from the actions of others, such as to pesticides that are used by neighbors, businesses, and governments. They need healthy residential developments in environmentally healthy communities. This research investigates "healthy residential developments," defined as a property that aims to reduce pollutant exposures to the extent required by vulnerable populations, which for this research are individuals with multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS). Through a case study approach, this research investigates two exemplars of healthy residential developments, and explains how and why they form and continue. It also examines their implementation methods, and implications for planning and policy. Primary data collection methods included in-person interviews, telephone interviews, and site visits. Research strategies included the analysis of interview data, and categorical aggregation using thematic categories within and across cases. The categories focused on factors of formation and continuation for the two healthy residential developments. Findings include the challenges of people disabled with MCS to find safe housing; the importance of planning to address these challenges; the role of individuals, funding, and zoning in the formation of healthy residential developments; the role of funding, safe maintenance, and property management in their continuation; and, the need for affordable and safe housing for vulnerable populations. Future research can address the need to develop methods to create and sustain healthy residential developments, understand and reduce sources of exposure that initiate and trigger chemical sensitivity, and investigate experiences and implementation strategies in other countries.

Ayant la contradiction entre le développement urbain et la conservation environnementale comme problématique, la stratification socioeconomique et spatiale emèrge comme champ privilegié d’investigation au sujet des indicateurs de durabilité urbaine. Cela constitue une des raisons du choix de la ville de Maringá comme terrain de recherche. La question de cette étude est de savoir quels sont les indicateurs durabilité urbaine permettant de dégager les quartiers plus proches de l’équilibre entre la qualité de vie humaine et l’équilibre de l’environnement, tout en tenant comme hypothèse de fond le lien entre la durabilité du développement et la conscience d’appartenance sociale et environnementale. En suivant une approche épidémiologique non anthropocentrique, cette recherche contribue à la discussion de la durabilité urbaine en offrant un cadre théorique et un modèle systémique pour la construction d’indicateurs de durabilité urbaine. L’application des indicateurs montre une classification de durabilité urbaine divergente de la stratification socio-economique mises en évidence par l’IDH. Cette classification, vérifiée au moyen de corrélation s multiples d’indices, dont l’empreinte écologique, l’indice de satisfaction de revenu, l’indice d’intégration sociale, les habitudes de santé et le poids santé, à l’échelle de deux aires échantillonnées dans les quartiers Conjunto Residencial Inocente Villanova Júnior et Zona 05. Les résultats suggèrent que le revenu a une forte influence sur l’empreinte écologique des familles, cependant, 10% des cas montrent la possibilité d’avoir une empreinte durable tout en ayant un revenu familial elevé. D’autres études se montrent nécessaires pour affiner le modèle proposé. / The aim of this research is to contrast the effects of urban development with environmental conservation practices. The investigation focuses on socio-economic segregation and its impact on sustainability, as measured by specific sustainability indicators. The city of Maringa in Central Brazil was selected as a case study, applying a targeted analysis to certain neighbourhoods. The study set out to determine which urban sustainability indicators are most appropriate to identify those neighbourhoods with the most sustainable practices and life-styles, assuming a fundamental link between sustainability practices and awareness of social and environmental responsibility. Using a epidemiological, but not anthopocentric, approach, this research contributes to and enriches the urban sustainability discourse by proposing a theoretical framework and model for the systemic construction of viable urban sustainability indicators. Applying these indicators to demographic and socio-economic data analysis results in a way of assessing urban sustainability that diverges from the socio-economic stratification approach of the HDI. This approach to sustainability assessment is validated through being applied to two sample areas of Maringa: the neighbourhoods of Conjunto Residencial Inocente Villanova Júnior and of Zona 05, using corrélations between ecological footprint, satisfaction index, social integration index, residents' health habits and body weight. Results suggest that income has a strong influence on household ecological footprint. However, in 10 % of cases a sustainable footprint is possible even in households with high incomes. Additional studies are recommended to refine the proposed model. / Tendo como problemática a contradição entre o desenvolvimento urbano e a conservação ambiental, a estratificação socio-econômica emerge como um campo privilegiado para o estudo da durabilidade do nível de vida. Esta é uma das razões que levaram à escolher Maringá como caso de pesquisa. A questão é saber quais indicadores de sustentabilidade urbana permitem identificar os bairros mais proximos do equilíbrio entre qualidade de vida humana e equilibrio ecológico. A hipótese de fundo supõe uma relação entre a sustentabilidade e uma consciência de interdependência socio-ambiental. Utilisando uma abordagem épidemiológica não anthropocêntrica, esta pesquisa contribui com o debate sobre a sustentabilidade urbana oferecendo um cadro téorico e um modelo sistémico para a construção de indicadores de durabilidade urbana, propondo e examinando alguns indicadores. Os resultados mostram uma classificação de sustentabilidade que diverge da estratificação socio-econômica evidenciadas pelo IDH. Esta classificação, verificada na escala dos bairros amostrados, Conjunto Residencial Inocente Villanova Junior e Zona 05, utilizando a análise estatística de correlação entre os indices de pegada ecológica, satisfação de renda, integração social, habitos de saúde e massa corporal identificam uma forte influência entre a renda e a pegada ecológica. Porém, 10% das famílias mostram que é possível reduzir a pegada ecológica a um valor sustentável mesmo obtendo renda familiar de até 3000 reais. Os resultados apontam a necessidade de outros dados para afinar o modelo proposto. / Les analyses spatiales et statistiques ont été réalisées avec les logiciels ArcView et SPSS