An exploratory study of urban air pollution, childhood asthma and landscape planning.

摘要

This study examines the case of childhood asthma in the urban environment as one example of the interactions between urban design and human health. Children are unique and vulnerable when considering issues of pollution and toxicity and therefore provide an important area for research. While the causes of increasing childhood asthma rates are multiple and complex, it is suggested that outdoor air pollution aggravates and exacerbates asthma attacks in children. The main pollutants responsible for this possible aggravation of asthma are NO2, SO2, ozone, and suspended particulates.;This thesis compares air pollution data and climatic data with childhood asthma hospital admission rates in Hamilton, Ontario and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan by using regression and multiple regression statistics. R2 values range from .05 to .98 for the different pollution and climate variables. The highest R2 values are found when all seven pollution and climatic variables are included. Limitations of the study and areas for further research are discussed along with the possible implications for urban design.