Urban Planning Impact on Mobility and Residential Satisfaction of Older People in Novi Sad

Vladimir Dragičević,Aleksandar Grujičić,Miloš Kopić,Darinka Golubović Matić

doi:10.3390/su14052689

Abstract

Social, political and economic changes have generated processes of revitalization of the built environment in post-socialist countries since the beginning of the 1990s; these changes are related to the physical structure of the city, its facilities and its functions, as well as the city landscape. Urban planning affects people’s quality of and way of life, as well as residential satisfaction with the built environment, especially that of older people, who make up a significant part of sustainable communities. This paper examines the residential satisfaction of older adults in terms of mobility—that is, their ability to move using facilities offered by public transportation and public places—in two neighborhoods of Novi Sad which have undergone the most extensive urban regeneration. This approach is different from the existing urban studies dealing with residential satisfaction, which makes it a contribution to the literature. Unlike previous studies—which have explored residential satisfaction at the level of accessibility to local facilities, safety in the urban environment and support from the environment—this paper also investigates the impact of movement in public space on the residential satisfaction of older people. The results show that the residential satisfaction of older people is low with regard to public transport, the arrangement of public spaces and traffic infrastructure.

Highlights

Urban spaces should be designed to reflect sustainable communities for the independent functioning of older adults
The aim of this paper is to examine the residential satisfaction of older adults, through the conditions of mobility and the quality of the public spaces in which this mobility takes place, using examples of transformed urban areas of Novi Sad
As their work had not considered the satisfaction of older people from aspects of mobility in public spaces, the questionnaire was supplemented with questions relating to the frequency of use and the quality of public transport, as well as the adaptation and arrangement of public spaces to their needs

Summary

Introduction

Urban spaces should be designed to reflect sustainable communities for the independent functioning of older adults. Sustainable communities imply functional urban spaces in which older people can meet their living needs through ease of mobility and adequate design, which should result in residential satisfaction. Understanding the needs of the older adult population is important for achieving a good quality of life and forming sustainable communities. Appropriate housing and quality design of public spaces reduce risks to the health of older adults. According to several authors, wellbeing is used to define social sustainability [2] It requires sustainable mobility in the context of the needs of the older adult population. This can be achieved through infrastructure improvements and accessibility [3]

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Conclusion