Neighborhood and Community Parks for Older Adult Residents

Ageing which is the process of becoming older is an integral part of our lives. Ageing represents the accumulation of changes in a human being over time, encompassing physical, psychological, and social changes. Neighborhood and community parks provide important physiological and psychological benefits to older adults, improving their quality of life. In general, older adults consider parks as an interaction space, younger people consider them as fitness places and children consider them as outdoor play areas. Historically, outdoor spaces such as parks have been designed almost exclusively to serve the needs of young people, both in park layout and design and the various activities which it offers. Through design, architects can incorporate into the outdoor spaces, the elderly usage patterns by considering their on-site behaviors, moods, activities, and states of mind. The objective of this report was to study the various aspects of the existing neighborhood parks considering the elderly usage and suggest design changes that can improve the quality of outdoor space for older adults.