Analysing the perceptions of the elderly on space vitality and related environmental factors based on residential community

Abstract

Environmental perception of the residential community has a non-negligible impact on a healthy lifestyle for the elderly. The perceived level- and actual satisfaction- of the elderly offered by the “space vitality” of the residential community is closely related to the physical and mental health for the elderly which also largely determines their quality of life. From the perspective of urban planning, it is a crucial measure to identify and effectively regulate the critical environmental impact factors of the residential community that affect the perception and experience of the elderly, to promote the construction of the age-friendly community. This paper took Dalian, China as the research range, and took the elderly as the object of research in relation to the perception of space vitality within the residential community and its associated environment-related factors. Correlation analysis was used to identify the potential environmental factors related to the perception of space vitality by the elderly. It found that the general level of the elderly's perception of space vitality has a positive correlation with many elements of the built environment e.g., the perception of the diversity, or the landscape of leisure places, which are both related to overall spatial quality. However, it does not show a significant correlation with the social environment. Therefore, useful suggestions are made on how to improve the elderly’s perception of space vitality within the residential community, particularly in prior planning and design practice. The optimization of the spatial quality of the built environment should be the core point of concern. By optimizing the arrangement of the relevant elements of the site, the elderly’s level of perception and satisfaction with the space vitality of the residential community should improve; furthermore, the physical and mental health of the elderly will be promoted in line with their quality of life.