This thesis investigates the relationship between access to public gathering spaces and self-reported health with indicators of community life as the intervening variables. This study was undertaken to investigate the relationship between the access to public space and self-rated health status in multicultural communities. A survey of 785 randomly-selected households was conducted across four low-income Toronto neighbourhoods. The investigation is framed by the 'production of healthy public space' model, which conceptualizes the pathways between the lived experience of space and health as impacting an individual’s likelihood of establishing place attachment. The results support the hypothesis that there is a relationship between the lived dimension of space and health. Mental health appears to be the outcome most affected by indicators of place attachment. Several of the aforementioned relationships were found more commonly in the densest of the four neighbourhoods and variations were found between foreign- and Canadian-born subpopulations.

Enhancing primary care is key to the Canadian health care reform. Considered as an indicator of primary care access and quality, hospitalisations for ambulatory care sensitive (ACS) conditions are commonly reported by Canadian organisations as sentinel events signaling problems with the delivery of primary care. However, the literature calls for further research to identify what lies behind ACS hospitalisation rates in regions with a predominantly urban population benefiting from universal access to health care. A theoretical model was built and, using an ecological design, multiple regressions were implemented to identify which neighbourhood characteristics explained the socio-economic gradient in ACS hospitalisation rates observed in Ottawa. Among these neighbourhoods, healthy behaviour and - to a certain extent - health status were significantly associated with ACS hospitalisation rates. Evidence of an association with primary care accessibility was also signaled for the more rural neighbourhoods. Smoking prevention and cessation campaigns may be the most relevant health care strategies to push forward by policy makers hoping to prevent ACS hospitalisations in Ottawa. From a health care equity perspective, targeting these campaigns to neighbourhoods of low socio-economic status may contribute to closing the gap in ACS hospitalisations described in this current study. Reducing the socio-economic inequalities of neighbourhoods would also contribute to health equity.

Many health geography studies, including the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study (ONS), have faced significant challenges uncovering local variation in patterns of community health in rural areas. This is due to the fact that sparsely populated rural areas make it difficult to define neighbourhoods that are representative of the social and resource utilization patterns of the individuals therein. Moreover, rural areas yield small samples from population-based regional health surveys and this leads to insufficient sample sizes for reliable estimation of health determinants and outcomes. In response to this issue this thesis combines geographical and statistical techniques which allow for the simulation of health variables within small areas and populations within rural Ottawa. This methodological approach combines the techniques of dasymetric mapping and statistical micro-simulation in an innovative way, which will allow health geography researchers to explore health determinants and health outcomes at small spatial scales in rural areas. Dasymetric mapping is used to generate a statistical population surface over Ottawa and then estimate socio-economic (SES) variables within small neighbourhood units within rural Ottawa. The estimated SES variables are then used as correlate variables to simulate health determinant and health outcome variables form the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) using statistical micro-simulation. Through this methodology, simulations of specific health determinants and outcome can be investigated at small spatial scales within rural areas. Dasymetric mapping provided neighbourhood-level population estimates that were used to re-weight as set of SES variables that were correlates with those in the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS). These neighbourhood-level correlates allowed microsimulation and consequent spatial exploration of prevalence for smoking, binge drinking, obesity, self-rated mental health, and the presence of two or more chronic conditions. The methodology outlined in this paper, provides and innovative way of exploring health determinants and health outcomes in neighbourhoods for which population and health statistics are not traditionally collected at levels that would allow traditional statistical analyses of prevalence.

Stars of all ages and evolutionary stages are seen to be surrounded by discs of matieral. during the formation of a stellar system the stars are orbited by a massive protoplanetary disc composed of interstellar gas and dust, in which planet formation occurs. Betewwen 1 and 10 Myr the protoplanetary disc disperses, leaving behind the newly formed system of planets and smaller bodies. The remaining material which has not formed into planets is referred to as a debris disc. Even though the interstellar dust grains from the protoplanetary disc have long been removed from the system, debris discs can contain large quantities of dust due to collisions between larger bodies and cometary activity. such dust can be detected by its thermal emission. This thesis focuses on observational studies at far-infrared and sub-millimetre wavelengths of debris discs and the late stages of protoplanetary disc evolution. An overview of surveys for debris discs performed to date is presented, highlighting the limitations and statistical biases. the motivation, design and sample selection for two large surveys for debris discs around nearby stars, with the Hershel space observatory and the SCUBA-2 sub-millimetre camera on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, are described. The combination of a uniform obstevational strategy, longer wavelengths than previous surveys, and a large, clearly chosen sample - unbiased by stellar properties - will allow robust statistical conclusions of how the incidence and properties of debris discs depend on system parameters such as stellar mass, age, metallicity, binarity and the presence of planets. As a precursor to the Hershel and SCUBA-2 surveys, a volume-limited ample of 130 A type star systems was surveyed using observations at 24 and 70 μm, which were required to determine the presence of emission from dust, were predicted by fitting model flux distributions to optical and near-infrared photometry. Debris discs were detected around 46 systems, 12 of which including the system with the largest dust mass - are new discoveries. This survey adds to the results of previous studies which show that debris disc incidence is not correleated with host star metallicity despite the wll known giant planet - metallicity correlation, This is in accordance with what is predicted from the core accretion theory of planet formation. The most signigicant result from this survey is that, contrary to results reported in a previous work, debris discs are oberall less common around binary stars. Further investigation shows that systems with separations of ~3-150 AU are especially deficient of debris, while closer binaries and the primaries of wider binaries show debris detection rates consisten with those for single stars. A sample of circumstellar discs around 29 young stellar systems with ages of 5-30 Myr were observed with the LABOCA sub-millimetre instrument on the APEX telescope at 870μm, to provide disc masses or mass upper limits in support of a large Hershel programme. These targets included the η Chamaeleontis cluster and four bright Herbig Ae/Be stars which have not previously been observed at this wavelength. All but the Herbig Ae/Be stars were not detected, and 3σ dust mass upper limits of ~ 0.1-3 M are determined, with corresponding total disc masses of ~0.03-1Mjup. These mass limits indicate that there is insufficient remaining material in these discs to form gas giant planets, and add to the prevailing view that protoplanetary discs typically disperse within 10 Myr and that gas giant planet formation must be completed before this time. A search for cold dust emimission from two of the Solar System's nearest neighbours - α Centauri AB and ε Indi - was also performed with LABOCA. In both cases no debris disc emission was detected. A bright resolved feature was detected near α Centauri AB, nowever, follow-up observations at a second epoch, two years after the initial observations, showed that the feature is not co-moving with the stars. It is argued that the feature is most likely a pre-stellar core. The stars α Centauri A and B are detected, which is one of only very few detections of main sequence stellar photospheres at sub-millimetre wavelengths.

The neighbourhood became one of the key sites for urban policy development during the previous New Labour government, and Neighbourhood Management Pathfinders were amongst their final strategies to combat “the most difficult problems faced by deprived neighbourhoods” (SEU 2000:5). This thesis explores the process of neighbourhood management in the coastal town of Ilfracombe, Devon. Ilfracombe features the characteristics of decline found in a number of coastal towns across the country, and suffers from high levels of deprivation (House of Commons Report 2006). Consequently, the neighbourhood management pathfinder ‘Transform’ was deployed in Ilfracombe in an attempt to address high deprivation. This thesis uses empirical findings collected through interviews and focus groups to examine the process of ‘Transform’, from its conception to its practical operation. It specifically considers the ‘voices’ of residents whose opinions and experiences, as targets of neighbourhood intervention are not always sufficiently documented within policy narratives. Consequently, the thesis unravels the process of neighbourhood management through findings generated by qualitative research ‘on the ground’. These are then examined through the lens of governmentality, allowing the methods, practice and outcomes of government, to be unpacked through a presentation of my empirical findings (Foucault 1991). These examinations take a particular interest in notions of community engagement and participation, partnership working, and the process of social exclusion. Here, partnership is demonstrated to be a tentative and fragile process underlined by local histories and differing temporal frameworks for action. But, this research also demonstrates that joint working can be improved through neighbourhood management which widens routes of communication to officers ‘on the ground’. However, what this thesis hopes to demonstrate most strongly is the continuing depth of problems felt by residents in Ilfracombe and that the process of ‘inclusion’ through paid work and ‘active’ citizenship, underlined in Labour’s neighbourhood renewal strategies, is not tackling some of the main problems of ‘deprived’ neighbourhoods, as experienced by the residents themselves.

Background and Aims Many low- and middle-income countries are undergoing epidemiological and health transitions. South Africa has one of the highest prevalences of overweight and obesity in Sub-Saharan Africa. This research examined neighbourhood and household socio-economic influences on the risk of overweight and obesity in terms of anthropometric status and dietary intake among urban South African adolescents. A further aim was to conduct a qualitative study on the potential for religious groups such as Churches to be used as community-based organisations for obesity intervention. Methods A secondary analysis of neighbourhood and household socio-economic status (SES), anthropometric and dietary data was carried out on adolescents aged 17-19 years from the Birth to Twenty Plus cohort study in Johannesburg-Soweto. Qualitative data were collected through focus groups discussions and a community readiness survey with church leaders. Results No significant associations were observed between SES (household and neighbourhood) and energy, protein, fat, or carbohydrate intakes in males. Some significant associations were found between SES and dietary intake in females. Females had a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity than males (26.2% vs. 8.2%, p<0.0001). In males, poor household SES was associated with lower odds of overweight, fatness and high waist-to-height ratio (WHTR). For females, household SES was not significantly associated with overweight, fatness and high WHTR. The qualitative research showed that there was a very low level of community readiness among church leaders for obesity prevention programmes. Conclusions The dietary results suggest that the diet of these adolescents is transitioning to that seen in high income countries. It also highlights that even within the same relatively small urban area, nutrition transition does not affect different groups in uniform ways. The qualitative results indicate that programmes should focus around raising awareness of the problem of overweight/obesity in this community.

Relations between the EU and its neighbour countries and regions are very important for either side. One of the topics which joins them is the energy resource issue. Daily, millions of barrels of oil and billions of cubic meter of natural gas flow through this area into Europe. This diploma thesis deals exactly with this matter, e.i. European Union's energy security. It is a very topical, discussed but above all for the EU important theme. The purpose of this thesis is to connect the conception of EU's energy security through the European Neighbourhood Policy, e.i. the policy which the EU has established to create stability and prosperity with the neighbour regions of North Africa, Near East, Eastern Europe and the Caucasus states. The outcome of this paper should be to evaluate the potential of the countries in the European neighbourhood and the potential of the neighbourhood policy for strengthening the EU security policy, that means to summarize the possibilities for effective co-operation in the field of energy and to say if this co-operation could strengthen European Union's energy security.

The European Union (EU) governance is very complex. Also, in order to have an impact on the democratic transformation of national settings in its Eastern Neighbourhood there is a need for the EU to govern more effectively. How can we understand the relations between the EU and countries in its Eastern Neighbourhood? Has the EU regional governance been able to bring positive change by influencing domestic processes including democratic institution-building in the region? What challenges has the EU encountered in its Eastern Neighbourhood and how has it responded to them? Even at times when the EU’s performance is being questioned by policy-makers and in academic literature, the EU retains a strong focus on sectoral and regional policies, along with a consistent presence in neighbouring countries. The six research papers of this thesis examine important aspects of regional development of the EU and its governance of the Eastern Neighbourhood. These analyses determine that the EU’s understanding of the governance of its Eastern Neighbourhood has developed and varied to a substantial degree since introduction of the European Neighbourhood Policy followed by addition of the Eastern Partnership. The papers provide empirical qualitative analysis on the factors shaping EU regional performance and address institutional, political, and cultural challenges that Ukraine and Belarus face in terms of democratization and regional cooperation. In addition, these papers engage with debates on borders and bordering in order to study the neighbourhood transformations through the European Neighbourhood Policy. New priorities, such as border management and a focus on multilateral initiatives under the Eastern Partnership, signalled the continuation of a region-based approach employed by the EU and the recognition of shared values, common traditions, and histories among neighbours in the EU’s shared borderland. / Graduate

A Avaliação de Impacto (AI) engloba processos, métodos, procedimentos e instrumentos, que buscam informar os tomadores de decisão sobre os efeitos ambientais e sociais na implantação de projets de modo a reduzir o desequilíbrio entre os pilares da sustentabilidade. Contudo, sua aplicação no ambiente urbano tem ocorrido de modo pontual e desarticulada ao planejamento das cidades. O surgimento do Estudo de Impacto de Vizinhança (EIV) a partir da Lei 10.257/2001 (Estatuto da Cidade), integrado ao processo decisório municipal voltado para a análise e aprovação de projetos e atividades potencialmente causadores de perturbações na dinâmica urbana e qualidade de vida nas cidades, desponta como uma oportunidade de fortalecimento da AI na esfera local, que implica na necessidade de compreensão dos fatores que influenciam a sua efetividade. A presente pesquisa visa caracterizar do quadro de aplicação do EIV no Brasil, por meio do levantamento dos aspectos institucionais/legais que orientam a sua aplicação nos 50 municípios mais populosos brasileiros, assim como o quadro específico verificado no município de São Carlos. Os dados levantados foram cotejados diante de princípios internacionais de efetividade da AI, o que permitiu estabelecer as lacunas e pontos de convergência entre o EIV e a AI. Foi realizada a análise de qualidade do conteúdo dos EIVs, o que permitiu identificar pontos que podem ser aprimorados como a definição de escopo e de alternativas, a identificação e previsão dos impactos, a avaliação de significância, a definição de medidas mitigadoras e o compromisso com o acompanhamento, além de alguns aspectos considerados positivos como a descrição do ambiente e o modo de apresentação das informações. Houve aspectos contextuais que contribuíram para a efetividade da AI como sua aplicação ocorrer de forma antecipada, sua equipe envolver diferentes disciplinas e o processo envolver os afetados, embora não em todos os casos. O aperfeiçoamento da utilização do EIV no contexto brasileiro requer uma definição mais precisa do seu propósito, e procedimentos para integração ao processo decisório. / Impact Assessment (IA) encompasses processes, methods, procedures and instruments that seek to inform decision makers about the environmental and social effects of project implementation in order to reduce the imbalance between the sustainability pillars. However, its application in the urban environment was carried out in a isolated and disjointed way to city planning. The emergence of the Neighbourhood Impact Assessment (EIV) based on Law 10.257/2001 (City Statute) emerges as an opportunity to strengthen IA in the local sphere, which implies the need to understand the factors that influence its effectiveness when integrated to the municipal decision-making process aimed at the analysis and approval of projects and activities potentially causing disturbances in the urban dynamics and quality of life in the cities. The present research aims to characterize of the framework for the application of EIVs in Brazil, through a survey of the institutional/legal aspects that guide its application in the 50 most populous Brazilian municipalities, as well as the specific situation in the city of São Carlos. The data collected were checked against international principles of effectiveness of the IA, which allowed to establish the gaps and points of convergence between the EIV and the IA. The analysis of the quality of the EIVs content was carried out, which allowed the identification of points that could be improved such as the definition of scope and alternatives, the identification and prediction of impacts, the evaluation of significance, the definition of mitigating measures and the commitment with the monitoring, as well as some positive aspects such as the description of the environment and the way information is presented. There were contextual aspects that contributed to the effectiveness of AI as its application occurred in advance, its team involved different disciplines and the process involved the affected, although not in all cases. Improving the use of EIV in the Brazilian context requires a more precise definition of its purpose, and procedures for integrating the decision making process.

Cette thèse a pour objet l’analyse des processus de patrimonialisation et des différentes transactions entre un ensemble d’acteurs publics, dans le cadre d’une intervention municipale. Celle-ci s’est déroulée entre 2010 et 2014 dans une partie du centre ancien de Lisbonne désigné par « quartier de la Mouraria ». Il s’agit de comprendre comment une action publique patrimoniale trouve dans l’échelle d’un quartier populaire ancien les ressources nécessaires à des arrangements entre les acteurs publics. Mais c’est aussi l’occasion de comprendre comment, dans une « scène publique » traversée par les controverses et les conflits entre ces mêmes acteurs, ces derniers participent simultanément à la construction de formes variées d’engagement et de partenariat autour d’un projet complexe de réhabilitation/requalification. L’analyse des usages des ressources mémorielles et patrimoniales permet à la fois de comprendre la construction d’une territorialité spécifique et son intégration dans les normes et les stratégies urbaines. La recherche permet aussi de saisir les effets réflexifs de cette forme de territorialisation sur la fabrique de la ville. / The aim of this doctoral thesis is to analyse the process of heritage policy and the different exchanges between public actors, within the framework of a town council intervention. The latter occurred between 2010 and 2014 in part of the old Lisbon city centre known as “the Mouraria neighbourhood”. The purpose is to understand how a public policy for heritage finds the necessary resources for arrangements between the public players at the level of an old popular neighbourhood. But this is also an opportunity to know how those very same players take part in the building of various forms of commitment and partnership around a challenging project of rehabilitation / requalification on a “public” stage swept by controversies and conflicts between them. Not only does analysing the use of heritage and memories resources enable to understand how to build a specific territoriality but also how to integrate it into the norms of urban strategies. This research also enables to grasp the reflexive effects of this form of territorialisation on the making of cities.