REACTIVE – Framework for the design of Resilient, hEalthy, ACTive, and Inclusive school-related enVironmEnts FINAL

Taking climate and other environmental stressors as a design challenge, the thesis adopts a layered and systemic approach to explore how schoolyards can be transformed into climate-resilient, inclusive, and health-supporting environments. Through the lenses of climate adaptation, child health and development, and active design, the research explores the potential of schoolyards to address multiple risks while offering co-benefits to students, educators, and surrounding communities. In addition to examining schoolyards as standalone spaces, the research also explores their role within the wider urban and neighborhood fabric. Shifting the focus to children’s overall experience of everyday commute from home to school, the research examines the surrounding micro-urban spaces that are part of children’s daily school experience, such as streets, entrances, waiting areas, and pedestrian paths. This perspective informs the development of a multi-scalar audit tool, structured around three interconnected scales: the schoolyard, the school premises, and the neighborhood. By considering these spatial relationships, the thesis aims to capture the full range of environmental factors that influence children’s health, activity, and resilience. The results are synthesised into a comprehensive and practical toolkit designed to guide municipalities, schools, and practitioners in transforming schoolyards into resilient, health-promoting spaces that foster learning, child development, and climate action.