Recreational Spaces
How Best to Design and Cater for Older People’s Safe Engagement in Physical Activity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6437843 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Pazit Levinger (0000-0001-6660-9183, Monash University), Ric Mcconaghy, Bronwyn Dreher (0009-0009-1790-2899, National Ageing Research Institute), Lisa James (0000-0003-0933-7032, National Ageing Research Institute), Marcia Fearn (0000-0002-0602-0702, National Ageing Research Institute), T J Mckenna (0000-0002-4239-1463, National Ageing Research Institute), Mairead Hallissey (National Ageing Research Institute), Keith Hill (0000-0002-2191-0308, Monash University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 525-552 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-06 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Population Ageing (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1874-7876 • E-ISSN: 1874-7884 |
| Publisher | Springer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s12062-024-09472-7 |
| OpenAlex | W4406091197 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 87 |
Recreational spaces, such as local parks, are important public spaces for the community to engage in various activities. With the global ageing population, the concept of multigenerational recreational spaces has become popular in recent years with the aim to design active spaces to cater for all age groups, including older people. However, designing multigenerational spaces that enable safe usage by older people can be challenging due to the competing interests and needs of different age groups. This paper is a reflective narrative describing four case studies of multigenerational outdoor spaces in Melbourne, Australia with the inclusion of age-friendly equipment and analysing parks layout and design using aerial imagery data. Factors impacting safe usage of the space by older people were identified and discussed. The main challenges identified in the recreational case study areas included: proximity of the seniors’ exercise area relative to children’s play-spaces, accessibility, layout of the area, and surrounding features which can pose potential safety risks for older people or be a deterrent for visiting the parks. The information described in this paper provides practical learnings relating to park layout, proximity of different spaces, and strategies that may be required to be implemented to facilitate safe usage of the space by older people for better multigenerational design. A national recreational age-friendly policy is also needed to provide overarching guidelines to assist local governments in the design and delivery of inclusive multigenerational recreational spaces
Architectural engineering · Built environment · Civil engineering · Community design · Geography · Inclusion (mineral · Narrative · Older people · Political science · Public open space · Public relations · Public space · Recreation · Spatial design · Computer Science · Engineering · Health disparities and outcomes · Medicine · Migration, Aging, and Tourism Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology · Urban Green Space and Health · Gerontology
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Consequences of chronic diseases and other limitations associated with old age – a scoping review
Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress
World guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults
Understanding the relationships between the physical environment and physical activity in older adults
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| Citations per year | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |