Spatial interventions and built environment features in developing age-friendly communities from the perspective of urban planning and design

Abstract

Population ageing is creating opportunities and challenges for many communities across the globe, as one in six people is expected to be older than 65 by 2050. Initiatives to develop age-friendly communities (AFC) have increased in popularity for more than two decades. While the physical environment and outdoor spaces are recognized as the core domain of the concept of AFC in the literature, most articles are published in the journals of ageing, gerontology, health and social policy and not in mainstream urban planning or design journals. The aim of the paper is to examine the spatial interventions and built-environment related discussions in the scholarly literature in the realm of AFC in the fields of landscape architecture and urban planning and identify gaps in the literature with the focus on spatial interventions. In addition, this paper aims to call urban planners and designers to action to be more engaged in the discussions and implementation of age-friendliness of communities. Findings suggest that urban planners and designers have the ability and power to contribute to the implementation of AFCs by raising awareness, changing attitude towards ageing issues, develop networks and collaboration, increase empathy, initiate and change policies, and put policies into action.