Planning Walkable Neighborhoods for “Aging in Place”: Lessons from Five Aging-Friendly Districts in Singapore

Tao, Yiqi; Zhang, Wei; Gou, Zhonghua; Jiang, Boya; Qi, Yi

doi:10.3390/su13041742

Open AccessArticle

Planning Walkable Neighborhoods for “Aging in Place”: Lessons from Five Aging-Friendly Districts in Singapore

by

Yiqi Tao

¹,

Wei Zhang

²,

Zhonghua Gou

^3,*

,

Boya Jiang

⁴ and

Yi Qi

¹

Department of Architecture, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China

²

Department of Architecture, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117356, Singapore

³

School of Urban Design, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China

⁴

Department of Architecture, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, China

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 1742; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041742

Submission received: 2 December 2020 / Revised: 26 January 2021 / Accepted: 28 January 2021 / Published: 5 February 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reviving Drivers for Sustainable Architecture and Urban Design—Ecology and Energy)

Download

Browse Figures

Versions Notes

Abstract

Today, “walkability” is considered a critical component of an aging-friendly neighborhood. This study examined the relationships between the neighborhood physical environment, walkability, and physical activity levels of older residents in Singapore. Five neighborhoods notable for their “aging in place” strategies were selected for a site survey. A questionnaire focusing on the evaluation of neighborhood walkability was administered to older adults in these neighborhoods. The questionnaire included three sections: neighborhood satisfaction, walkability, and the daily physical activity of older adults. The results indicated that adequate physical facilities and connectivity to the city were critical to older adults’ satisfaction with their neighborhoods. The mean walking time significantly dropped as the number of nearby facilities increased, and the number of facilities was negatively correlated with the daily activity levels of older adults. Thus, planners should attempt to calibrate the provision of neighborhood facilities to maintain the physical activity levels of older adults.

Keywords: aging society; neighborhood; walkability; activity levels; elderly people

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Tao, Y.; Zhang, W.; Gou, Z.; Jiang, B.; Qi, Y. Planning Walkable Neighborhoods for “Aging in Place”: Lessons from Five Aging-Friendly Districts in Singapore. Sustainability 2021, 13, 1742. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041742

AMA Style

Tao Y, Zhang W, Gou Z, Jiang B, Qi Y. Planning Walkable Neighborhoods for “Aging in Place”: Lessons from Five Aging-Friendly Districts in Singapore. Sustainability. 2021; 13(4):1742. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041742

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tao, Yiqi, Wei Zhang, Zhonghua Gou, Boya Jiang, and Yi Qi. 2021. "Planning Walkable Neighborhoods for “Aging in Place”: Lessons from Five Aging-Friendly Districts in Singapore" Sustainability 13, no. 4: 1742. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041742

APA Style

Tao, Y., Zhang, W., Gou, Z., Jiang, B., & Qi, Y. (2021). Planning Walkable Neighborhoods for “Aging in Place”: Lessons from Five Aging-Friendly Districts in Singapore. Sustainability, 13(4), 1742. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041742

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Menu

Planning Walkable Neighborhoods for “Aging in Place”: Lessons from Five Aging-Friendly Districts in Singapore

Abstract

Share and Cite

Article Metrics

Article Access Statistics

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI