Too Old for Recreation? How Friendly Are Urban Parks for Elderly People?

Diana Andreea Onose, Ioan Cristian Iojă, Mihai Răzvan Niță, Gabriel Ovidiu Vânău and Ana Maria Popa
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Diana Andreea Onose: Centre for Environmental Research and Impact Studies, University of Bucharest, 010041 Bucharest, Romania
Ioan Cristian Iojă: Centre for Environmental Research and Impact Studies, University of Bucharest, 010041 Bucharest, Romania
Mihai Răzvan Niță: Centre for Environmental Research and Impact Studies, University of Bucharest, 010041 Bucharest, Romania
Gabriel Ovidiu Vânău: Centre for Environmental Research and Impact Studies, University of Bucharest, 010041 Bucharest, Romania
Ana Maria Popa: Centre for Environmental Research and Impact Studies, University of Bucharest, 010041 Bucharest, Romania

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: Urbanization and ageing are the two main processes currently shaping the social environment worldwide. In this context, creating senior friendly cities should be an important target, especially in developed countries, which have the highest rates of population over 60 years old. Our study focuses on the use of urban parks and aims to analyze how friendly their planning, design, and use are for elderly people. We used field observation carried out in four case study parks in Bucharest (Romania) to assess the spatial planning and design of urban parks, and to identify the environmental problems. We applied a total of 5752 questionnaires (16% to elderly people) in the majority of Bucharest’s parks in order to analyze the behavior and perception of seniors in contrast with that of the general population. The analysis highlighted the lack of endowments especially planned or designed for seniors and the multiple problems deriving from their interaction with other visitor groups which make them feel disrespected or unsafe. Our study highlights the need for including the needs, demands, and desires of elderly people in decision making processes, with the aim of creating inclusive and senior friendly parks.

Keywords: elderly people; planning; design; urban parks; senior friendly (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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