Exploration the future of healthy aging and human habitat
Journal article
Article
Age-friendly Spatial Design for Residential Neighbourhoods in a Compact City: Participatory Planning with Older Adults and Stakeholders
Habitat International
Despite worldwide concerns about ageing-in-place and age-friendly environments in cities, frameworks for age-friendly residential neighbourhoods—particularly planned housing estates dominant in Asia—remain underdeveloped. This study addressed this gap by developing a responsive, adaptable, and scale-specific framework for age-friendly spatial design of old residential neighbourhoods. We applied participatory research methods to study an old private residential neighbourhood beset by both demographic and infrastructural ageing in Hong Kong. Integrating perspectives from older residents, other age groups, and built-environment professionals, the study facilitated the co-identification of current barriers and co-prioritisation of critical design factors and strategies for age-friendly residential neighbourhoods. Two main factors emerged: Future-Proofing Communities, focusing on adaptable spatial design and functionality, and Creating Flexible Places for All, emphasising complementary and multiple-use space for services, activities, and community support networks. The study sheds light on the dynamics of property ownership and management in residential neighbourhoods, underscoring the importance of empathy and consensus-building between management and residents. The findings provided actionable insights for governments, urban planners, and public and private housing suppliers and managers. We advocate extending the discourse on sustainable urban development for ageing populations, particularly in high-density and old Asian urban neighbourhoods.
Article
Revisiting the implementation and effectiveness of age-friendly neighborhood initiatives in Hong Kong: A strengths-based perspective.
Journal of Aging & Social Policy
In an era where urban environments increasingly grapple with the challenges of an aging population, the necessity for age-friendly neighborhoods (AFNs) has never been more acute. This study investigates the implementation and effectiveness of AFN initiatives in Hong Kong, examining the alignment between policy intentions and their actual impact on the ground. Utilizing a strengths-based perspective, documentary and thematic analysis for gray literature, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups are employed to bridge existing research gaps by highlighting the subjective agency of older adults. The findings reveal that while policies are robustly designed, their execution often fails to align with older adults’ actual demands and expectations. Although public policies are generally well-intentioned, they often lack specificity and fail to accommodate the unique needs of the older population fully. Serving as active agents, older adults have the potential to contribute significantly to the making of AFNs, challenging the traditional view of them as mere beneficiaries.
Article
Navigating between private and public: Understanding publicness of public open spaces in private developments in Hong Kong
Journal of Urban Management
Given that lands became increasingly expensive for governments to meet open space standards, there emerged a growing trend towards private sector involvement public open space provision. This collaboration has given rise to public open spaces in private developments (POSPD), characterised by varying levels of ‘publicness’ – the degree to which a space embodies public qualities and serves public interests. This research seeks to systematically understand the diverse manifestations of publicness in POSPDs using a proposed conceptual framework. Empirical examination of cases in Hong Kong yielded the statistical categorisation of POSPDs into five types, namely Edge Zone, Hide-and-Seek, Pseudo-Public Park, Consumers’ Paradise and Public Plaza. The results revealed a classist nature of POSPD publicness, with accessibility disproportionately favouring privileged groups. These findings contribute to a better understanding of POSPD publicness and highlights gaps in POS service and governance practice, provides valuable guidance for urban planners, policymakers, and developers in navigating the complexities of public space provision in increasingly privatized urban environments. The insights are relevant for creating more inclusive public spaces that cater to the needs of all community members, particularly in Asia’s high-density urban contexts.
Article
Healthy Ageing Should Be a Key Component of Ageing in Place: Case Study from Hong Kong
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
As part of a knowledge-transfer project consisting of a series of three talks on the topic of healthy ageing and ageing in place, we explored what participants (older adults, students, the general public, as well as professionals in architecture, urban planning and property management) consider to be key requirements for ageing in place and healthy ageing. Feedback is captured using survey questionnaires and a post-talk discussion group. Safety, a comfortable and spacious environment, age-friendly facilities and meeting the needs of older adults, the availability of caring support and home maintenance services were the most frequently mentioned desirable features of ageing in place. Future models for different types of support for ageing in place may be explored by management companies working with the residents themselves, to develop a sustainable business model.
Article
Perceptions of Intergenerational Living among Older Adults Residing in Subsidized Housing Developments in Hong Kong
JOURNAL OF AGING AND ENVIRONMENT
This study explores whether there are differences in the per- ception of intergenerational living between three age catego- ries under the umbrella term of “older adults,” specifically among the emerging old (aged 50–64), young-old (aged 65– 79), and old-old (aged 80 and above). While survey (n1⁄4437) results showed all three age categories had a similar percep- tion of “intergeneration” and its perceived benefits, emerging old respondents were found to be more open to various forms of intergenerational living compared to the other two age categories. The findings of this study can inform future housing solutions to better cater to the diverse needs of the older population.
Article
Housing Preference for Ageing-in-Place: Are There Differences among Emerging-Old, Young-Old and Old-Old Adults Living in Hong Kong’s Private Housing Estates?
JOURNAL OF AGING AND ENVIRONMENT
This study investigates housing preference among older adults in Hong Kong’s private housing estates across three age groups: emerging-old (50–65 years), young-old (65–75 years), and old-old (75 or above years). Findings highlight signifi- cantly increasing preferences for safety, thermal comfort, and physical periodicals for property services and health-related information with age. Respondents generally preferred prox- imity to facilities, on-site support, and social media for prop- erty information but were less attentive to home assessment. This study provides recommendations for improving housing design standards, property management practices, and public education programs for older adults.