Project Description

The research work entitled "Urban Design and Active Ageing: public space of residential areas" / "Desenho Urbano e Envelhecimento Activo, espaço público de áreas residenciais", aims to sistematize a scientific study directed to urban design and a socio-cognitive approach over ageing as a process, in reference to public space scale of residential areas mostly inhabited by the elderly.

The theme is centred on the problem of society's quality of life, focusing on the age extremes (children and elderly), objectifying measurable criteria to enable the assessment of age-friendly public space and of dementia, inclusive requirements inseparable of these specific groups.

The human component that characterizes the proposed method highlights the needs and expectations of potential users, identification and requirements with the environment and the possibility to check the sustainability of public space. The exemplary practices addressed in the state of the art are the basis of crossed informative acquis of cases (inter) national and WHO guidelines, and starting point for measuring the inclusive and friend level of these requirements in question, concerning to the elderly.

To suppress any degree of abstraction of certain factors inherent to the human dimensions of public space, the comprehensive study of the rights and needs of users gives the evaluation process the necessary measurability. The classification according to operating criteria for sustainability dimension of public space and for a careful analysis of a methodology inherent to a process of friendly design. The correlation between different dimensions of space (economic, social, cultural and socio-cognitive), clarify at broader level the methodology applicable to urban design as a discipline and as a local scale of city territorial management.

On that assumption, and by the definition and scope of the study, thematic framing, methodology systematization and presentation of objectives to be achieved, were systematized on the state of art particular concepts of Ageing/ successful, healthy, active and of the Urban Design/ friendly. As basis to define the Health guidelines for active ageing, our goal to formulate sustainable and inclusive practices based on Land Management policies where the Age-friendly Cities fits, and in reference with we treat public space of urban residential areas in particular through a participatory process.

The work comprises an exploratory part of the proposed methodology, organization of the database and analysis, foundation of the algorithm that we intend to have as a mechanism through what should be processed the evaluation of the quality of public space in residential areas, referred to as PI-ENVE and goal of this scientific study as basis to decision support tools.

In addition to the constructs in order to measure and assess the quality of public space to residential areas, according to the terms of the established increase in the perceived reality of the elderly as the quality requirements during the ageing process, life and the environment.

In conclusion we present a reflection on the work with reference to the objectives contributions, however calculated and validated for the practice and management of public space in residential areas for the elderly in light of an urban design promoter of active ageing and practice potential to be developed in the future.

Research Team

• Lara Taveira da Mota Mendes
• Fernando Brandão Alves (supervisor)

Financial Support

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Stage of Progress

• Concluded in 2016