Initiating HERMÓPOLIS Collaborative Design: Local Definitions for Building a Global Smart City Platform to Improve the Quality of Life of the Elderly ^†

Abstract

Smart furniture (smart cities) can provide publicity, mobility services and local government communication, among many other services; however, its use for improving the quality of life of the elderly (extended IP-spaces concept) can be further researched. This paper describes the first step in a collaborative design of a smart city platform based on this concept. This design requires a layered design, as it includes architectonic, artistic, technological and social aspects. Participatory design (PD) and participatory action research (PAR) methodologies were selected to include the elderly in the design to ensure the acceptance and usability of the system. During this specific design process, three groups of elderly people from three geographic points of Spain were recruited. PD was applied to capture the users’ preferences and general specifications regarding the architectonic aspect of the project, while PAR was used to capture these groups’ quality-of-life needs, determine the initial acceptance of the project and define the initial activities to be realized for mitigating the detected needs. The application of these qualitative methodologies should produce a user-centric, valuable but local (specific) design. As more groups and towns will be involved, the new local designs will build a bigger set of validated solutions that potentially could be customized and reused for other contexts.

1. Introduction

The quality of life of elderly people is a major concern nowadays. Planet population ageing sets a challenge that should be addressed from different points of view, political, economic, scientific, educational and technological. The definition of healthy and active ageing developed by the World Health Organization in 2002 and 2015 was included in the international agenda and in many national policies during the next decades [1,2,3]. In 2023, 108 countries were reported to have national plans, policies or strategies on ageing and health [4]. The application of these policies is very beneficial for people with an extended life expectancy and for reducing the emotional and economic effort of the entire society. It contributes to changing the focus from caring for people with increasingly deteriorating health to assisting them to live more actively, preserving their health.

The HERMÓPOLIS project proposes a novel smart cities platform for improving the quality of life of the elderly [5]. One of the outstanding characteristics of this project is that it fosters face-to-face and online communication of groups of elders in public open spaces and indoors, realizing different activities (cultural, educational, physical, etc.). The platform requires a layered design, as it includes architectural, technological and social aspects. Nevertheless, its design and implementation should be validated by its users to maximize its acceptance and usability. Therefore, a fundamental step in the design process is to capture the initial needs and preferences of the elderly who will use it.

The main objective of this work is to start a collaborative design with three specific groups of elderly people to (a) determine whether this type of communication is effective and what are its main barriers, (b) define the architectural and technological specifications of the design, (c) identify their main needs related to quality of life and (d) determine the first activities to be implemented. The local (specific) answers to these questions represent an initial starting point in the design space, from which to develop the research process.

The structure of this paper is as follows. The first section presents the literature review, which goes through the world and Spain’s ageing population and reviews the role of the WHO Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCC) agenda, as well as the related ICT, smart cities and smart furniture technologies, before introducing the extended interconnected public space (EIPS) concept. This section is completed by reviewing the application of the methodologies of layered and participative design for age-friendly environments. Next, the methodology section presents the smart cities platform HERMÓPOLIS, its high-level layered structure and the research methodologies employed. The architectonic/artistic and technological layers are high-level drafted, the essential cloud service is implemented, and the development of AI application for interactive online physical sessions is presented. Next, the initial design process is exposed. It involves three groups of elderly people, from three geographic points of Spain, in a qualitative research process. Two teleconference sessions were performed to allow participants to meet each other and present their towns. During them, participant observation and field diary techniques were used to assess and adjust interaction during the initial online sessions. At the end of the last, two questionnaires were administered to capture their preferences and general specifications regarding the architectural aspect of the project (participant design). In the third session, a focus group activity allowed the identification of the main needs of these groups regarding their quality of life, determining the acceptance of the online interaction and the initial activities to be realized in the project (participatory action research). The next sections present the results obtained and their discussion, to finally present the conclusions of this work.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Literature Review

In 2021, there were 761 million people over the age of 65 in the world, a figure that is expected to grow up to 1600 million in the year 2050 (Figure 1), thus reaching 16% of the world population [6]. This ageing of the population is stronger in developed countries, according to the World Health Organization. Particularly, in Spain, it is estimated that the population of 65 or more years will be 26% of the total population by 2037 [7].

Although longer life expectancy is a proven fact [7], there is a need to maintain the quality of those years gained. The largest expense of social benefits in Spain and in the European Union is dedicated to retirement benefits and national health systems, around 35% of the total government expenditure (Figure 2) [8], so a good economic measure to make a rational use of these expenses would be to invest in innovative policies aimed at improving the life of this section of the population. This is in line with the Spanish government policy of “Active ageing and fighting against the dependency” that is being fostered by regional and local governments. In Spain, people over 65 years old have an average wealth 40% higher than national average wealth [9]. Similar figures can be observed in other developed countries. Therefore, it is essential to promote the health of this age group, not only for ethical reasons, but also so they can continue to participate actively in society, both economically and socially.

Part of this growing sector of the population has special needs to maintain good physical and mental well-being. These needs include physical exercise, social interaction and mental stimulation. Research into ageing and cognition has demonstrated the close relationship between sensory functioning and social communication in maintaining cognitive performance and mood in the elderly, yet in modern societies, elderly people are increasingly isolated and under-stimulated, both physically and psychosocially [10]. This situation results in accelerated cognitive decline and the suffering associated with loneliness and confusion. Social interaction and intellectual stimulation may be relevant to preserving mental functioning in the elderly [11,12]. There is evidence that the growth of their social networks has benefits on older adults’ health [13]. Some studies report that subjects who participated in senior citizen clubs or senior centers can have a lower risk of cognitive decline, especially if this interaction is realized with young adults [14]. Other studies highlight the potential of video games for developing physical skills and creating mental and social interactions for elderly people [15].

2.1.1. Smart Cities and Ageing

As of 2022, 4.52 billion people live in urban areas worldwide, representing 56.2% of the global population [16,17]. Asia has the largest urban population, with 53.1% of the world’s built-up urban areas with populations of 500,000 or more [18]. North America, Latin America and the Caribbean are the most urbanized regions, with over 80% of their populations living in cities [19]. By 2030, the global urban population is expected to reach 5.2 billion [20]. Therefore, from the architectonic and urbanism point of view, the WHO Age-Friendly Cities and Communities (AFCC) agenda is very relevant to this research. This initiative provides an age-friendly cities guideline that is accompanied by a checklist of essential features of age-friendly cities. This checklist is used for the elderly, as full partners, to assess their lives in the cities, suggest changes when necessary and participate in their implementation [21].

In an ever-smarter and digital society, AFCC should be complemented with a technological aspect [22,23]. A theoretical framework for the application of ICT for improving the QoL of ageing persons is presented in [24]. It proposes nine dimensions and nine determinants (conditions or opportunities affecting the dimensions) for assessing QoL and classifies 607 articles and 410 patents according to their application context: body, home, building, city, region and country. It shows that most of the solutions are dedicated to home and body (90% articles, 72% patents), country-related are in the third place (5% articles, 23.8% patents), but building, cities and region only account for 5% of the reviewed solutions (5% articles, 4.2% patents).

Another study relevant to this work is [25]. This review of reviews about technologies for ageing support searched 7274 studies from Scopus, PubMed and Web of Science. These reviews were screened further up to 344 reviews and classified according to the types of technologies used. Seventeen reviews about smart environments were studied. Their focus was primarily on smart homes and their application for caring and supporting the elderly. This is consistent with the results obtained in [24]. Similar observations can be found in other reviews: “The role of ICT in providing better access to public spaces has been growing, although the number of scientific reports referring directly to the elderly in this respect is small” [26].

This gap in the literature is highlighted again in [27]. This study is oriented toward the application of smart technology for the therapeutic rehabilitation of the elderly in outdoor spaces. This work remarks on the importance of outdoor physical activity for the well-being of the elderly and reviews the related literature. From the initial 2923 papers, only 16 were relevant to outdoor applications. Most of the 15 were related to the use of wearables and only one was to the deployments of sensors in outdoor space or furniture.

The concept of interconnected public spaces (IP-Spaces) was defined [28,29,30] in 2020 and addressed this gap in the literature. Being that its research context is outdoor smart furniture, it puts the focus on outdoor activities and international social connections (covering the city and country types of solutions defined in [24]). The extension of IP-Spaces, including public indoor spaces, allows addressing other less unexplored quality of life dimensions and ageing determinants such as education, leisure, volunteering and life-long learning (such as defined in [24]).

Another review about smart cities applications to facilitate the mobility of the elderly [31] initially retrieved 1801 papers from WoS, Scopus and IEEEXplore. These studies were filtered to a total of 28 articles. The analysis showed that the mobility of older adults is still not a significant topic within the research on smart cities, and hence, there is a need for applied research in this area. It should be noted that IP-Spaces can be applied to this area too.

The relevance of outdoor activities for the elderly’s physical and mental health is exposed in [32,33,34,35,36]. These studies identify the barriers that the elderly find for the realization of outdoor activities such as physical barriers, the lack of motivation or confidence, the fear of falling and the absence of social support (and the relation of the latter with the motivation) [33]. The Urban Health Path project [32] includes an innovative form of the physical and cognitive activation of the elderly, where the architectural elements, such as details, façade features and urban furniture, inspire movement and attentiveness in the experience of space. The concept is supported by a mobile application specially designed for the users employing the Design Thinking method. The benefits of biophilic design (blending natural elements into built environments to improve our connection with nature) to enhance the psychological well-being and quality of life of baby boomers dwelling in assisted living facilities are exposed in [34].

2.1.2. Smart Furniture and Ageing

Many cities are using smart furniture as elements of their smart city concept and deployment. Two of the main types of this furniture are smart kiosks and smart bus stops. Among the outstanding examples of cities employing smart kiosks are the cities of Daegu, in South Korea, and Philadelphia, in the US. Daegu, the third-largest city in South Korea, has deployed unmanned kiosks as key components for disaster management. They transmit crucial information during disasters (earthquakes, floods or fires) and provide local guidance to people. City authorities consider these kiosks as essential instruments to maintain communication with citizens even in the most complex circumstances while guiding and informing citizens and visitors daily [37].

Several European and Asian cities have launched smart bus stop pilot projects. The interfaces of the smart bus stops are increasing in technical sophistication. Figure 3 shows the use of directional sound and big screens for publicity campaigns [38].

Smart furniture is also a very important element in the design of smart parks and smart playgrounds [40,41,42]. The use of smart benches, smart lighting, smart pergolas (shelters), smart kiosks (for providing information about the state of the park resources and events, as well as mobility services and environmental information, such as temperature, air quality, etc.), smart electronic signs (signaling the direction to important locations in the park) and interactive walls (as Yalp Sutu) are common in these facilities.

The relationship between the WHO Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, smart cities and smart parks is studied in [35]. This comprehensive study points out that most smart cities solutions are typically implemented indoors and tend to overlook the needs of older adults. According to the authors, a smart city should consider the increasing rate of ageing and give more importance to outdoor environments as a key aspect of quality of life.

2.1.3. The Extended Interconnected Public Space Concept

The concept of the interconnected public space (IP-Space) [28,29,30] describes a public outdoor architectonic space that is physically accessible and inclusive, can optionally provide services related to mobility, publicity, etc. and is equipped with ICT equipment that can connect with a similar space remotely located. Therefore, an IP-Space becomes a node in a network of these spaces. An IP-Space node can be implemented at a bus stop, in a park, in a square or any other outdoor spot in the city in which a group of persons could potentially interact with it. Thus, IP-Spaces allow the sharing of collective experiences locally and remotely at the same time.

The extended IP-Space (EIPS) concept includes outdoor and indoor public implementation of the IP-Spaces (Figure 4). It reduces the requirements for electronic system capability to withstand harsh environmental conditions (reduced costs) while keeping the requirements of being outside the home and sharing collective experiences. This allows the use of existing locations such as clubs, elder people associations, etc.

Figure 4 also describes a potential implementation of the EIPS in the context of smart cities. Two sets of people, potentially from two different countries, are sharing, locally and remotely, a dancing experience, while another group shares a yoga experience.

The spaces can connect persons from other regions or countries, using the same or different languages, using automated translation services. The EIPS allows participation in different sports and physical, educational, cultural and playful activities (such as intellectual games or video games, physical exercises, dancing competitions and many more), engaging elderly people in remote communities and stimulating them mentally, physically, socially and intellectually.

Specifically for the elderly, promoting participation in educational, cultural and sportive activities contributes to emotional, physical health and social cohesion [43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50]. Some studies show that learning multiple real-world skills simultaneously in older adults can improve both their cognitive abilities (working memory, episodic memory and cognitive control) and functional independence [51]. Interconnected public spaces can help create the conditions under which well-being is more likely to improve.

Although part of the elderly population experiences barriers to the use of technology, these barriers can be alleviated with intergenerational support [52]. The usage of ICT can assist in preventing isolation and especially increasing social capital in older people, as shown in [53]. It reviews previous studies about this result and points out that the well-being of the elderly can be improved indirectly using ICT technologies, as the latter increases social capital and, in consequence, well-being.

2.1.4. Participatory Design and Age-Friendly Environments and Communities

The design of the WHO age-friendly environments and communities is a participatory, user-centric procedure. Nevertheless, most of the studies about smart parks tend to produce solutions without a validation step to ensure that the solution meets the needs of the elderly [35]. To address this gap, the application of co-design and participatory design methodologies can provide a user-centric approach and enable validation at every stage: design, implementation and usage [23,35]. A user-centric design promotes diversity and a positive user experience [36]. Usability and accessibility are crucial. Involving users in the whole development process allows collecting insightful information and feedback to avoid potential resistance to technology adoption [27]. All these factors, in addition to security and reliability, are crucial to developing technologies for the elderly. On the other hand, it is important to consider that research findings from one country or geographical zone cannot be universally applied, as they may be influenced by cultural, economic and geographical factors [54].

2.1.5. Layered Design and Age-Friendly Environments and Communities

One example of the combination of digital, social and physical layers in the design of WHO Age-Friendly Cities and Communities can be found in [55]. It addresses three domains of the AFCC agenda: “Communication and Information”, “Outdoor Spaces and Buildings” and “Social Participation”. Two case studies were implemented, one related to the use of wearable technology to increase physical activity and the other related to social prescribing (this non-medical referral describes when a health provider suggests physical and social activities to improve the QoL of the individuals). In other applications, a greater interrelationship between layers is needed. Studies and designs of outdoor public spaces such as parks require various techniques and offer diverse solutions, including technological, policy-related, design-related or hybrid approaches [31]. They suggest that conducting studies on intelligent environments can assist in a better understanding of the relationships between technology and design, bridging knowledge gaps across disciplines [35].

2.2. Methodological Approach

To implement the extended IP-Spaces, the HERMÓPOLIS project is being designed. It is a complex task, covering architectonic, artistic, technological and social aspects. Therefore, a layered design was proposed (Figure 5). The social layer is in the top position. It contains the users and their interaction in local and hybrid communities. Next is the activity layer. It describes how different activities will be carried out and how the effect of these activities on the subject’s quality of life will be assessed. The third layer is the technological layer, divided into two sublayers: hardware and software. The last layer corresponds to the artistic and architectonic layer. It describes the physical structure, shape and aesthetic appeal of the extended IP-Space nodes.

Two qualitative design methodologies are used. Participatory design (PD) is used to create the architectonic and technological layer, while participatory action research (PAR) is used for the development of the activities.

PD consists of three stages: Initial Exploration, Discovery Process and Prototyping. In the Initial Exploration, designers meet the users and familiarize themselves with how the users engage in their activities (their abilities in the use of the technology, their routines, procedures, etc.). In the Discovery Process, stage designers and users clarify the users’ goals and values to agree on the desired outcome. In the Prototyping stage, designers and users iteratively define the prototype [56].

On the other hand, PAR is based on reflection, data collection and action that aims to improve a behavior and/or solve a social problem involving the people who, in turn, take actions to achieve this improvement or realize the change [57]. In PAR, users/stakeholders are co-researchers defining the research questions and implementing the actions that result from the research [58]. This is an iterative methodology. First, research is performed, whereby all researchers collect and analyze data, and then they determine what action should follow. Then, the effects of the action are researched to propose a new action and the cycle repeats until a satisfactory outcome is obtained [57].

2.2.1. Architectonic and Artistic Layer

From the architectonic point of view, interconnected public spaces (IP-Spaces) are urban environments designed to be accessible, inclusive and safe, promoting connectivity and well-being for all citizens, especially older people. These spaces can not only facilitate mobility and accessibility but also encourage socialization and community participation, key aspects for the mental, emotional and physical well-being of older people [28,29,30]. Older people face various barriers in their interaction with public spaces, such as lack of adequate infrastructure, insecurity and poor connectivity between different urban areas. These barriers not only limit their mobility but also negatively affect their quality of life and overall well-being. Therefore, designing public spaces that specifically address the needs of this population group is of vital importance.

An IP-Space generates a node of activation of the social space yet larger due to the technology embedded into the architectonic public space. This is an application of the IoT (Internet of Things) in which the things are architectonic objects, allowing interaction in local and virtual social networks. This is a novel concept. Through the interaction with the physical architectonic object, a new social interaction, locally and remotely, is activated.

Squares and especially parks or gardens can be key spaces to the IP-Space network establishment, insomuch as, for own nature, they are spaces prone to establishing a harmonious relationship between people, fostering the relationships between people and encouraging mental, physical and spiritual health.

Some possibilities for the architectonic design of the IP-Spaces have been drafted using AI generators (Figure 6). In the images, the mirrors are meant to represent screens of different scales, and the reflected images are meant to represent the corresponding remote activity. Some outdoor activities such as yoga, tai chi and dancing in different styles are shown in parks, towns and cities at sunset and morning.

The images were generated using the Copilot Designer tool with technology DALL-E.3. To generate the images, prompts should include words representing the relevant aspects of the scene. For example, “park trees sunset elderly females and males practicing Taichi mirrors” or “square in a town afternoon elderly females and males dancing tango around one big vertical mirror in the middle of the square”.

2.2.2. Technological Layer

The technological layer of the smart city platform is a crucial element for creating a connected ecosystem of services and devices that work together to enhance the quality of life of the elderly. This layer is fundamentally built on an IoT platform that integrates and supports both outdoor and indoor extended IP-Spaces. These spaces allow the elderly to participate in digital activities while enabling supervision staff to monitor and assist them in real time.

As illustrated in Figure 7, the high-level architecture of this platform, referred to as HERMÓPOLIS, brings together multiple extended IP-Spaces through a cloud-based infrastructure. This architecture not only facilitates seamless communication between the spaces and the users but also supports the various activities designed to improve the physical, mental and social well-being of elderly individuals.

The platform’s cloud architecture is comprised of four key services:

• Activities service: This service is the digital support of the activities for elderly users. These activities include cognitive exercises, online therapy sessions, physical exercises and social engagements. A key feature of this service is its ability to provide personalized activities based on the needs and preferences of each user, promoting engagement and active participation, which is essential for maintaining cognitive and physical health.
• Teleconference and translation services: These services provide remote teleconferencing features that enable users to remotely interact with other elders, the supervision staff and other personnel involved in the activities. The inclusion of automatic translation services breaks down language barriers, making the platform accessible to a diverse user base. This feature is particularly useful for multicultural environments, where elderly individuals may speak different languages or come from varied linguistic backgrounds.
• Management services: This service handles the logistical aspects of activity scheduling and organization. It ensures that both users and supervisory staff have access to updated information about upcoming activities. Elderly users can receive notifications and reminders for activities, which helps them stay on track, while staff members can use the platform to monitor participation and outcomes.
• Artificial intelligence (AI) services: The AI services provide advanced analytics that can significantly enhance the experience and safety of elderly users. For instance, AI-powered human posture estimation (HPE) and emotion recognition tools are crucial for remote online interaction. On the one hand, they allow the capture and exchange of users’ physical movements and emotions from one place to another for engaging them in remote interactions. On the other hand, they enable staff to monitor physical activities and emotional states in real time. Therefore, they not only ensure that exercises and therapy sessions are performed correctly but also provide insights into the emotional well-being of participants, allowing for timely interventions if distress or discomfort is detected.

Initial Development of the Technological Layer

In the early stages of development, the focus was on deploying a minimal yet functional technological infrastructure. This approach was essential for starting with a small-scale implementation that could then be scaled up as the platform matured. The first implementation involved the installation of wide-angle cameras, 40-inch monitors, infrared frames and laptops, which were used as physical access points. The initial setup was complemented by the creation of a simple landing page (https://miespaciopublico.es/index.php), which provided an entry point for elderly users to access virtual meeting rooms where activities took place. This web-based interface was designed to be extremely simple and user-friendly, allowing users with varying degrees of technological proficiency to easily navigate the platform. The decision to start with a basic website was strategic, as it enabled the research team to conduct early-stage experiments and gather user feedback on the platform’s usability. As the platform evolves, this website will serve as the foundation for future developments, such as integrating more advanced features like real-time analytics, personalized activity recommendations and enhanced accessibility options for individuals with disabilities (Figure 8).

Human Posture Estimation (HPE) Application Development

A critical component of the platform’s technological layer is the human posture estimation (HPE) application, which is currently in development. This application plays a vital role in online physical activities by allowing supervision staff to monitor and evaluate the posture of elderly participants in real time. By ensuring that users perform exercises correctly, the HPE application helps prevent injury, improves therapeutic outcomes and even contributes to the gamification of physical activities, increasing user engagement.

Human posture estimation (HPE) detects keypoints on the human body to estimate posture in images or videos imparting spatial reasoning to machines. It finds applications in various domains like virtual reality, augmented reality, clothing size estimation, autonomous driving, video surveillance, healthcare (e.g., therapy and fall detection) and sports analysis [59,60,61,62,63]. These keypoints typically correspond to major joints and limbs, providing a comprehensive map of the user’s movements. Modern HPE algorithms can track not only the basic posture but also facial expressions, hand gestures and foot placement, adding an extra layer of interactivity and precision.

Several HPE libraries have emerged over the years, including OpenPose, PoseNet, MoveNet and MediaPipe Pose. Each of these libraries has been tested for different use cases, with MoveNet showing particularly strong performance in detecting human poses in video sequences. According to comparative analyses [64], MoveNet outperforms other libraries in terms of the percentage of detected joints (PDJ), a critical metric in assessing the accuracy of human posture estimation.

The initial tests using MoveNet (lightning), a lightweight model, have shown promising results in detecting keypoints during online physical activities. As shown in Figure 9, the system successfully identified the posture of participants, providing real-time feedback that allowed supervisors to adjust as needed. The ability to provide immediate feedback enhances the quality of remote physical activities, making them safer and more effective.

Despite the promising early results, several challenges must be addressed as the technological layer continues to evolve. One of the primary challenges is ensuring the accuracy of posture detection in environments with varying lighting conditions and camera positions. Additionally, issues such as occlusion (when parts of the body are hidden from the camera’s view) can impact the effectiveness of the HPE system. To mitigate these challenges, future developments should focus on improving the robustness of the posture estimation algorithms and integrating machine learning models that can adapt to different environmental conditions.

2.2.3. Activities and Social Layers

The activities layer encloses the selection, design and procedures for realization of the activities in the project. Activities can be related to health, education and entertainment, among many others. From all these possibilities, it is important to choose those that can help to successfully start the operation of the platform. They should be the most interesting and useful for the specific groups of elderly involved in this project. Determining these initial activities is one of the main objectives of this work.

The social layer encloses the planning, the diffusion and the realization of the activities. It also includes a representation of the private and government organizations, companies and institutions, as well as the groups of people participating in the project. It is therefore indirectly associated with the relationships and social bonds of the participants. To foster them, the platform must be attractive to keep current users interested and motivated while attracting new ones. A work of diffusion among potential users and institutions will help to increase this attraction.

2.3. Design Process

There are three main steps in the design process.

• Recruitment of the participants
• Realization of the initial hybrid sessions to observe whether the groups effectively communicate and their relationship with technology
• Realization of the initial collaborative design activities: identification of their architectural design preferences and needs regarding their quality of life.

2.3.1. Recruitment of the Participants

The task of recruiting elderly people from nearby official associations was unfortunately difficult, as they involved complex and sometimes long official procedures. In this case, recruitment through intergenerational familiar relationships worked better. It has two advantages, the existence of a previous trusted relationship and the support for helping to overcome technological barriers [65]. Initially, three elders’ groups joined us.

• Group 1. The first group is from Peñaflor de Hornija, a municipality located in the province of Valladolid, Castile, and León, Spain. According to the 2023 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 337 inhabitants. The group of elders is composed of nine persons (five women and four men), ranging in age from 65 to 70. Most of them live in Peñaflor, although some of them are not yet retired and commute to work in Valladolid.
• Group 2. The second group is from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the island of Tenerife and one of the capitals of the Canary Islands. The city has a population of 209,395 inhabitants (2023) and is part of a metropolitan area of almost 500,000 inhabitants, formed by Santa Cruz de Tenerife and San Cristóbal de la Laguna. The group of seniors is made up of five people (four women and one man) with an age range of 55 to 74 years, representing a group of 18 volunteers. They are part of the Cáritas Castrense association, which focuses on the inclusion and integration of elderly retired Army personnel, mainly widows and orphans. The members of this group have a higher university education and show a more technical interest oriented to architecture, since part of their actions have to do with the provision of home help, adaptation of facilities and studies on the suitability of spaces for their actions.
• Group 3. The third group is from Espiñoso (officially called San Miguel de Espiñoso), a parish in the municipality of Cartelle, in the province of Orense, Galicia. The parish has a population of 188 inhabitants (2022). The group of seven women represents the Rural Women Association of San Miguel de Espiñoso. The age range is from 55 to 80 years old. Some live in big cities such as Madrid, Vigo or A Coruña half of the year, dwelling in the parish the rest of the year.

Each participant was identified with a code: location (E—San Miguel de Espiñoso, S—Santa Cruz de Tenerife, P—Peñaflor de Hornija), sex (F—female, M—male) and a number related to its recruitment (example: EF3).

2.3.2. Realization of the Initial Sessions

Two teleconference sessions were arranged to allow the group of participants to meet each other, present the project and observe their interaction and use of the technology using participant observation techniques and field diaries. It was crucial to select an interesting initial activity to involve participants, so researchers suggested a town presentation. This succeeded in engaging participants in active communication.

2.3.3. Initial Collaborative Design Activities

Once communication is established and they know each other, the next step is starting with the design procedures.

Architectonic Design Preferences

Participatory design starts with the initial exploration stage. For achieving it, these actions were realized at the end of the second session:

• Questionnaire 1 was administered to Peñaflor and Espiñoso participants to capture their general architectonic preferences about indoor and outdoor activities, the specific list of the activities (that they currently do), the preferred places to engage in these activities, and finally, they were asked about Metaverse.
• Additionally, a detailed guide of architectonic design preferences (Questionnaire 2) was administered to the three groups.

Quality of Life and Related Needs

The first iterative cycle of a participatory action research process is collecting and analyzing data to determine the next action. A third teleconference session was realized with Espiñoso (seven women) and Peñaflor (three women and three men). During it, a focus group was realized to research participants’ quality of life and needs first, before proceeding to choose and design initial activities.

3. Results

3.1. Preferences for Outdoor and Indoor Activities

From the analysis of the answers to Questionnaire 1, the next preferences were extracted.

Indoor or outdoor activities. The preferences were divided; some of the participants expressed that they would like it when weather conditions are suitable. One of the participants preferring outdoor activities wrote: “Yes. Because it gives me a feeling of freedom, tranquility, spaciousness, healthy breathing and contact with nature” (EF1).

Activities. They engaged in many activities, which can be classified into four groups:

A.

Sevillanas (flamenco dancing), Zumba classes, yoga, physical exercises

B.

Bobbin, workshops (memory and laughter therapy), summer public talks, classes (e.g., on the use of technology and active listening)

C.

Cooking lessons

D.

Nordic walking, excursions, hiking, bike riding

One woman wrote that the activities that she would prefer are those related to social relationships: “I really like communication with people and those related to culture, body and mind” (EF1).

Specific town places for engaging in the activities. Most of the participants preferred public places. Among outdoor options, the participants mentioned the town hall square, the local sports center, the field in front of the church and the Association premises. In the Espiñoso group, person EF4 introduced the possibility that the activities can be performed in Espiñoso, but also outside in other, bigger towns or cities (Cartelle, Orense).

Metaverse. In the case of Espiñoso, most of the participants showed interest. EF6 expressed, “Yes, to be able to participate in case you cannot attend in person”.

3.2. Preferences About the Architectonic Space for Indoor Activities

From the analysis of the answers to Questionnaire 2, the next preferences, regarding geometry and dimensions, were extracted.

Dimensions. They should vary depending on the activity to be carried out and the number of people involved; between 100 m² and 200 m² could be a starting point. It is important not to forget the bathrooms and their accessibility.

Capacity. Up to 40 people.

Intergenerational. It would be very positive to share space with other generations. Older people rejuvenate, even if it is temporary. It is important to respect and agree on activities that are to everyone’s taste; the tastes of the different generations are very different and can end up clashing, for example, in matters of music, dance, cultural events, etc.

Shapes. Spaces with rectilinear shapes, smooth walls and ceilings with light colors. Curvilinear spaces with unstable horizons can make people dizzy. The contact interface, and the texture, must be considered. The furniture layout should be considered so as not to overload the space. It is important that, if geometry is novel, it should not be aggressive. The space must have good acoustics that transmit sounds well.

Materials. Different materials can be combined, but they must produce a friendly combination and be easy to maintain, clean and disinfect. The materials on the walls would be the classic factory-built ones, brick, with mortar coating, plaster, plasterboard, carved stone, marble, etc. The preferred floors are wooden ones. Classic ceilings are made of plaster and of wood.

Division of spaces. Shared spaces with sliding doors and walls provide great versatility, depending on the capacity and the activity.

Some relevant perceptions regarding this group of preferences were agreed upon by SC1, SC2 and SC3: “We believe that the contact interface (texture) is more important to them than geometry, which can be new ideas, but they should not be aggressive”.

Regarding light, color and indoor plants, the next preferences were extracted.

Indoor plants and vegetation. Yes, but in moderation. If possible, it should be sustainable.

Lighting. It should be constant and intense, but at the same time, depending on the activity, it can be darkened or dimmed.

Artificial lighting. It should be adaptable, warm, indirect or direct depending on what is needed for a certain activity. It could combine different options (variable intensity power lamps or spotlights) to allow people to read, craft, watch movies, etc.

Colors. In general, warm colors or neutral colors (grays and whites).

Possibility of skylights on the roofs. Yes, they can be screened or closed. It is an opportunity to ventilate. Another proposed option is the use of large windows to capture natural light.

Some relevant perceptions regarding this group of preferences were agreed upon by SC1, SC2 and SC3 about the importance of having skylights on the roof: “If they can be screened or closed when there is a lot of sun, yes. But it is an opportunity for them to also be ventilation holes”.

Regarding the possibility of building a detachable pavilion (i.e., an architectonic object able to dynamically shelter outdoor smart furniture depending on the weather conditions), there are divergent opinions. Some consider it unnecessary at this moment, and others consider that it may be appropriate to extend rather than renovate existing spaces (SC1, SC2 and SC3).

3.3. Identification of the Principal Needs Related to Their Quality of Life

The data collected and analyzed during the focus group session allowed obtaining the information shown below regarding the principal needs of these groups of participants and their quality of life.

General needs for improving their quality of life (QoL).

• There is an interest in mastering technological tools for daily life; also, there is curiosity about learning AI. The inability to use technology makes them afraid of making online appointments for medical assistance, carrying out bank and city hall procedures, etc.
• A strong interest in increasing the medical assistance received, especially mental.
• Loneliness was an expressed issue. To have a recreational–cultural–social space to interact with others.
• Regarding connectivity, Espiñoso and Peñaflor have an optical fiber service but do not have mobile phone service yet.
• One person expressed the feeling that technology can also divide and isolate people and the need for bigger social cohesion and face-to-face communication.
• Architectonic barriers are also a detected issue for making public spaces accessible.
• The need for professional carers was also detected.
• Improvement of the communication and transport services in the rural environment. Improvement of the maintenance and accessibility of public spaces (e.g., parks).
• A need to learn languages that can be very useful for communicating with foreign people.
• The need for entertainers who encourage elderly people to engage in cheerful activities was also expressed.

Some relevant perceptions were expressed by EF3: “To different problems that we may have. And it seems to me that if we had the option of being accompanied by psychologists, it would be very advisable” and “No, I would like us to be digital like those who are 30 years old today…, but we do not want to get disconnected from the opportunity that new technologies offer us”.

Participation. It is perceived that although the elderly participate in the activities currently organized, sometimes the participation is low because the population is small, so finally, few people gather: “Very few people come… because there are no people” (EF1, EF4).

Use of the IP-Spaces. There is the perception that this communication is enriching, that one group can learn from another: “Connection can bring people from different towns closer, and being able to interact together, occupy our time, contribute to learning from what other communities do can be very enriching” (EF2).

3.4. Conceptual Comparison of the Obtained Results

As our research continues, a new group of elders is being recruited. Thus far, we have recruited 26 people (19 women and 7 men), ranging from 60 to 88 years of age from 13 different areas of Spain. The demographic characteristics of the areas involved in this second study are shown in

Table 1. All localities that are involved in the second study.

Locality	Province/Autonomous Community	Population (Approx.)
San Agustín de Guadalix	Madrid	14,000
Aguilafuente	Segovia (Castilla y León)	500
Madrid	Madrid	3,416,771
El Molar	Madrid	10,000
Bilbao	Bizkaia (Basque Country)	348,000
Teo	A Coruña (Galicia)	18,500
Colmenar Viejo	Madrid	57,000
Alicante	Alicante (Valencian Community)	358,720
Manzanares el Real	Madrid	9500
Soto del Real	Madrid	9400
Úbeda	Jaén (Andalucía)	33,600
Albacete	Albacete (Castilla La Mancha)	174,000
Tabanera la Luenga	Segovia (Castilla y León)	53

.

The new participants were asked to fill out a new questionnaire addressing two main topics: interest in group outdoor activities and, possibly, in IP-Spaces activities, and the participants’ architectural preferences for indoor spaces. This time, a set of images describing IP-Spaces was included in the questionnaire (Figure 6).

3.4.1. Outdoor Activities and Potential Interest in IP-Spaces

Regarding outdoor activities, 92% of the respondents like them. Regarding the possibility of experiencing the outdoor IP-Space activities, 65% of the individuals showed interest (the main objections were related to the use of AI, as the participants stated that they do not feel comfortable with it). Word clouds relating to the qualitative aspect of these answers are shown in Figure 10.

Another two important aspects of our research were the interviewed elders’ relationship with technology and their opportunities for interacting with other people. Regarding technological proficiency, 49% of the people interviewed perceived themselves as proficient or fluent, 12% stated that they knew the basics and were not interested in further learning, while 69% of them expressed a desire or need to continue learning. On the other hand, 73% of the interviewed elders expressed that they were satisfied or very satisfied with their current opportunities to interact with other people, while 19% felt neutral or dissatisfied (Figure 11).

3.4.2. Architectural Preferences

The results of the conceptual comparison of some of the specifications/preferences obtained in the two studies are shown in

Table 2. Conceptual comparison of some of the architectonic specifications/preferences.

Preferences	Values (Study 1)	Values (Study 2)
Dimensions	100 m2 and 200 m2	100 m2 (46%), 200 m2 (23%)
Capacity	Up to 40 people	20 people (50%), 40 people (23%)
Intergenerational space	Positive feelings were expressed	Yes (88%)
Shapes	Spaces with rectilinear shapes, smooth walls	Rectilinear walls (69%), ceilings with acoustic and curved shapes (77%)
Colors.	In general, warm colors or neutral colors (grays and whites) are preferred	Neutral colors (69.5%)
Materials	Different materials can be combined, but the result should be welcoming and should be easy to maintain, clean and disinfect	Natural, wood-like materials such as cork, etc., on walls, floors and ceilings (65%), combined with stony materials (30%)
Division of spaces	Shared spaces with sliding doors and walls provide great versatility, depending on the capacity and the activity	Yes (73%)
Roof Skylights	Yes; they can be screened or closed	Yes (92%)
Pavilion	Divided opinion	Yes (80%)

. The values in parentheses show the percentage of acceptance of the preference in the second study.

One important result obtained in the second study is that 84.6% of the people interviewed felt that there was room to apply some of these options as improvements to the spaces they currently use for their group activities.

4. Discussion

The results discussion is organized around the three main questions that define a starting point in the design space, from which to develop the project.

4.1. Communication Effectiveness and Its Main Barriers (Social Layer)

During the first two teleconference sessions, researchers applied participant observation and used field diary techniques. They noticed that effective online communication between groups of elders does not always happen. They observed and confirmed from the participants that the affinity of the groups, and their common background, is very important. The interests of the groups participating should be close and well defined before the meeting. In the opinion of the researchers, making explicit the tone of the session (emotional, funny, intellectual, etc.) in advance can be useful. The time allocated to the session should be limited and respected (one hour, for example, can be a suitable duration). There is a need for technical assistance for the elderly with low digital abilities to learn to use technology and feel confident. This assistance can be face-to-face or remote. In this experience, a younger relative was very suitable for this role.

The program of the session (subject, schedule, the structure of the activities) is very important for participants to understand the object of the session and keep focused. An initial subject for these introductory sessions could be the presentation of the town of each group (location, history, fauna, flora, curiosities, etc.). Good visual material (videos, photos) was very useful for this presentation. It was observed that the presentation of one town stimulated the other group to improve their presentation, including new information and making the whole experience exciting.

From the social point of view, it is very interesting to attract not only the elderly but also at least one young relative in each elders’ group to facilitate cohesion and technical assistance. This could be considered for the diffusion and publicity, for not only targeting the elderly but also their youngest relatives.

4.2. Definition of the Initial Architectural and Technological Specifications of the Design

From the architectonic point of view, there is a possibility of improving the space currently used for the elderly’s activities and the option of building an outdoor installation. The information collected allows consideration of the preferences of the elderly in the architectonic design of indoor spaces.

The hybrid (indoors and outdoors) option of a detachable pavilion was not completely rejected. Therefore, this line of research can be explored.

From the technological point of view, the need for assistant personnel was validated. As mentioned before, a younger relative with technological skills can be very useful for helping elders regarding technology. As some towns do not have mobile phone service, it is necessary to use a Wi-Fi extender in addition to audiovisual equipment and computers in the outdoor or hybrid architectonic object.

The application of AI human posture estimators and advanced camera systems is another line of research to be explored, as they could help to enrich the realization of online physical activities as well as being used for gamification.

4.3. Identification of Needs and Definition of the First Activities to Be Implemented

The main needs regarding the quality of life for these specific groups were identified and three initial activities were selected as the most important to be developed:

• Technological assistance. Teaching them how to use technology
• Mental health assistance.
• Increase their social interaction.

The activities they currently engage in were classified into four groups to help determine the physical space and the required technology (Section 4.1). For example, the activities of Group D can be broadcast to extended spaces but require that people engaging in the activities be provided with mobile cameras (e.g., 360° cameras could be an option). Cooking lessons (group C) require another type of space and camera movement. The activities of groups A and C can be realized outdoors and indoors, while group B activities can be mostly indoors.

5. Conclusions

Involving the elderly in the design is crucial to ensure the acceptance and usability of HERMÓPOLIS. The combined use of participatory design and participatory action research methodologies allows researchers and participants to work on both the technical (architectonic and technological) and social aspects.

The captured needs and preferences are the first step in the design space to define the next lines of development and research.

• Architectonic and artistic layer. Build a detachable pavilion, an architectonic object able to shelter outdoor smart furniture dynamically depending on the weather conditions. This design should be adapted to the specific conditions (demographics, geographic, climate and cultural conditions of each town), validating its use during the elderly’s activities.
• Technological layer. Continuing the development of the human posture estimation to make online physical activities interactive, validating its use during elderly activities.
• Activities layer. Design and implement the three initial activities selected: teaching about the use of technology to alleviate the digital divide, prospecting resources to implement mental health assistance to these specific groups and designing and implementing activities for increasing their social interaction. Assess the impact of these activities on the well-being and quality of life of the elderly.
• Social layer. Increase the diffusion and recruitment of more participants to increase the social base of the project. Apply the obtained insight and continue the research to produce effective online communication.

This is a local and user-centric methodology. Their results are specific to these groups of elders and cannot be generalized to any other group, although the conceptual comparison with the new group of elders shows similar results. This research strategy is in line with the available resources and at the same time allows the agile development of the HERMOPOLIS project. It produces a unique, specific but valuable solution for the people for whom it is designed. As more and more towns and groups are involved in their local design processes, bigger are the possibilities of obtaining a global set of validated solutions that serve as a basis for the customization of new applications.

There are different challenges ahead. From the architectonic point of view, the pavilion should be designed and built at a reasonable cost, while the improvement of the indoor spaces needs the raising of funds and the development of a specific project. Another challenge lies in ensuring the scalability of the platform as more users join the system. While the initial setup was designed for a small number of participants, future iterations will require more sophisticated cloud infrastructure to handle the increased data load generated by multiple simultaneous activities. This will also involve enhancing the AI services to provide more personalized and adaptive experiences for users based on their individual needs and preferences. And finally, the cybersecurity aspect is crucial for the safety of the elderly using the platform.

The platform’s success will depend on the continuous feedback from elderly users and supervision staff. Regular user testing and iteration will ensure that the platform remains user-friendly and addresses the unique needs of its target population. By incorporating advanced technologies like AI and IoT into a user-centric design, the HERMÓPOLIS platform has the potential to become a cornerstone in the development of smart cities that prioritize the well-being of their elderly residents.