Integrating sense of place into age friendly homes and communities

The aging-in-place agenda posits that the preferred environment to age is the home and community, enabling older people to retain a sense of independence, safety and belonging. Encouraging older adults to remain in their communities has contributed to planning and design concepts such as age-friendly cities and liveable neighbourhoods. However, simply changing the built form is not sufficient to create a more inclusive environment for ageing since places are more than physical spaces. Current urban planning and development models have overlooked the notion of sense of place, articulated through supports for active living, social participation and meaningful involvement in the community. Integrating sense of place into the built environment is essential for supporting active ageing. In contrast a feeling of displacement or ‘placelessness’ is associated with alienation, isolation and loneliness, often resulting in adverse health outcomes, especially amongst older adults.

This PhD project will be based in the research group ‘Health and wellbeing in the built environment’ in the School’s Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Building Design. The project will examine how communities and homes can support successful ageing contributing to the following research questions: (i) how is sense of place experienced by older people across a range of community and housing contexts? (ii) how can we translate the experiences of older adults into designs for age friendly homes and communities and (iii) how can we better articulate the role of older adults as active ‘placemakers’ in the planning and development process? The research will be qualitative and welcomes the use of participatory or visual methodologies.