Urban space co-creates the living environment and indirectly influences everyone's health. A healthy environment also consists of good air quality, which is difficult to ensure in cities due to the many sources of pollutant emissions, among which transport sources are ubiquitous. Therefore, the study of air quality and traffic pollutants, in the intertwined levels of architecture and urban planning, is the core of the research of the PhD thesis. More specifically, the thesis investigated the building blocks of space, such as the characteristics of the built environment, open space and green infrastructure, as well as their potential impact on air quality. The main objective of the thesis was focused on examining the relationship between architectural and urban design choices and the consequences for indoor and outdoor air quality. The qualitative and quantitative research methods of literature study, field measurements, statistical analysis and computer simulations were used to investigate which are the spatial factors that influence the process of transport pollutant dispersion in space. Vulnerable groups of people, which undoubtedly include children, are the most affected by air pollution, and the analysis of spatial building blocks is therefore linked to the external and internal space of educational establishments. In terms of ensuring the criteria for a healthy environment, schools that rely on natural ventilation systems are the most exposed to traffic pollutants. As a result, these schools and their respective urban locations were investigated with regard to the issue of natural ventilation. The individual case studies of primary schools were further evaluated in terms of their site characteristics, architectural and urban design features of the building and the results of field measurements. Significant differences in CO2 and PM2.5 concentrations were found for the outdoor and indoor areas of the school case studies, for typical urban locations of quiet urban background, along open and closed street profiles. Despite the guidelines in place for the management of covid-19 pandemic at the time of the study, differences in ventilation patterns and air quality in classrooms were detected. The results support the hypothesis that indoor and outdoor air quality is significantly influenced by the urban environment and its pollution. The individual spatial building blocks were evaluated in terms of air quality criteria, and then proposals and urban design guidelines were developed for those urban spaces most affected by traffic pollutants. As a result of the reflection on modern architectural and urban design guidelines, the final part of the thesis provides guidelines for the design of primary schools in cities with the aim of ensuring the possibility of using natural ventilation in educational institutions.
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