Transportation and Land Use Planning for Healthy Cities
Abstract
Healthy cities provide physical and mental health benefits to citizens. To promote scientific transportation and land use planning for healthy cities, robust geospatial methods are required. This thesis introduces two new geospatial methods to facilitate healthy transportation and land use planning. First, to help healthy land use planning, a new analytical framework for identifying green space deserts based on various walking distance thresholds is introduced. This method is particularly useful in low-middle-income countries in the Global South where guidelines for proper walking distance thresholds to green spaces are missing. Second, to aid healthy transportation planning, a new measure of transit-based accessibility is proposed to incorporate transit users' exposure to extreme weather events. This measure will enhance the preparedness of our society and transportation systems for climate change. Together, the two geospatial methods developed in this thesis will guide informed policymaking efforts to make our world more liveable, sustainable, and healthier.