Designing Public Space for an Ageing Population: Improving Pedestrian Mobility for Older People

Designing Public Space for an Ageing Population explores the barriers older people face as pedestrians in the built environment and offers solutions based on Bourdieu's theory of capitals. The book demonstrates that the public realm must be safe, accessible, attractive, and desirable to an ageing population, with case studies presenting solutions around CABE's objectives of urban design.

\n Format: Hardback
\n Length: 120 pages
\n Publication date: 19 October 2021
\n Publisher: Emerald Publishing Limited
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Designing Public Space for an Ageing Population delves into the challenges faced by older individuals as pedestrians in the built environment, highlighting the need to address these barriers. Drawing from extensive research conducted worldwide, this book adopts Bourdieu's theory of capitals to explore how to overcome restrictions and limitations on mobility. It identifies key factors such as infrastructure capital, encompassing technology, services, roads, pavements, finance, and economics, as well as social capital, including relationships with friends, family, neighbors, and communities. Cultural capital, encompassing norms, expectations, rules, and laws, is also considered. Additionally, individual capital, encompassing skills, abilities, resilience, adaptability, and a willingness to change, plays a crucial role.

The book emphasizes that the public realm must be not only safe and accessible but also attractive and desirable to the ageing population. It showcases case studies that align with the objectives of urban design, including creating safe and accessible spaces that facilitate easy movement, legible spaces that offer adaptability, diversity, and choice, and distinctive and aesthetically pleasing spaces that exude character, continuity, and quality.

By recognizing and addressing the barriers faced by older pedestrians, Designing Public Space for an Ageing Population contributes to the development of more inclusive and age-friendly cities. It provides valuable insights for policymakers, urban designers, and community members alike, as they strive to create environments that support the well-being and active participation of older individuals in their communities.

\n Weight: 304g\n
Dimension: 160 x 241 x 14 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781839827457\n \n