The presentation (40-45 minutes) will be given in English, and the defence will be followed by a reception from 18:00 onwards.
If you cannot attend in person, feel free to follow the defence online via this Teams link: Public PhD Defence - Elsa Gallez | Meeting-Join | Microsoft Teams.
Please register here to indicate your attendance (defence and/or reception), preferably by January 16.
"Schools as Gateways to Urban Nature for All": A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Children’s (In)equitable Exposure to School-Related Green and Blue Infrastructure in Brussels and Other European Cities
Children in cities face increasing environmental pressures, sedentary lifestyles, and limited access to green spaces. Yet, children are not equally affected by these challenges. The spatial distribution of green and blue infrastructure (GBI) and its related health benefits often favours children from wealthier families. Despite growing attention to socio-environmental inequalities, schools remain largely overlooked in GBI accessibility research.
This interdisciplinary dissertation examines children's (in)equitable exposure to school-related GBI (in schoolyards and school surroundings), during and after school hours, in Brussels, Barcelona, Rotterdam, and Paris. Using a multi-dimensional, mixed-methods framework, it analyses both spatial inequalities and use patterns.
Results show that in Brussels, children from wealthier families benefit from greener and healthier school environments, with Brussels displaying the strongest inequalities among the four cities. Map-based surveys and interviews further reveal that younger and lower-income children use public green spaces more frequently after school hours. Yet, the lack of attractive and accessible spaces near school remains a key barrier. Limited staff motivation and experience in outdoor learning further constrain children's contact with nature.
The dissertation concludes with recommendations for equity-centred greening policies in and around schools and highlights the need to integrate justice considerations into urban planning and educational practices to foster children's equitable exposure to nature.
Curriculum Vitae
Elsa Gallez holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geographical Sciences from the University of Namur (2018) and a Master’s degree in Urban Environmental Management (land use planning track) from Wageningen University and Research (2020). Her interdisciplinary PhD began in 2022 at VUB and was conducted in the framework of the EU Horizon 2020 COOLSCHOOLS project (2022-2025). Her work focuses on identifying effective levers to foster equitable access to nature for all, bridging the fields of Cartography, Human Geography, Urban Planning, and Education.