Limitations of Public Open Spaces in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: Some Perspectives from the Elderly

Abstract

An increase in the proportion of elderly residents in cities raises the need for increased attention to public open spacesHo Chi Minh City, VietnamPublic Open Spaces (POS) for socialization, outdoor activities, and exercise, universally acknowledged as vital for the mental and physical well-being of the elderly. With a sharp change in its demographic profile towards the aged and aging population since 2011 and a projection for this trend to continue, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) in Vietnam is a prime candidate for a well-planned system of age-friendly public open spaces (POS). However, a shortage of space—with an estimated green area of only about 1.36 m2 of land per capita—and other problems, especially in terms of spatial quality that limit the use of the POSHo Chi Minh City, VietnamPublic Open Spaces (POS) by the elderly, this topic is gaining urgency. This paper is an attempt to address this issue. We used first-hand observation and a questionnaire survey in selected POS locations to explore the limitations of public open spacesHo Chi Minh City, VietnamPublic Open Spaces (POS) in HCMC from the perspective of the elderly. Their response shows that although most of them are generally happy with public open spaces, many have considerable concern over issues such as accessibility, proximity, cleanliness, natural condition, security issues, and exercise equipment. We conclude with a set of proposed solutions based on the findings of our study as well as on good practices in other countries as gleaned from the literature.