Date of Award
8-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Department
Planning, Design, and the Built Environment
Abstract
Senior issues have been rapidly rising in contemporary society since the Baby Boomer generation started retiring. Their change in socio-economic status is giving rise to several new social phenomena, one of which is senior isolation. For urban planners and designers, this new wave of senior isolation necessitates a fresh approach and reevaluation of formal urban environments.
This research proposes three questions around senior isolation. First, a) what aspects of the built environment contribute to senior isolation and loneliness in urban and suburban environments, and b) what are the effects of each on senior populations concerning the risk of isolation and loneliness? Second, a) how do various stakeholders understand senior isolation and loneliness; b) what planning, design, and social solutions do these stakeholders consider as a response; and c) what are the pros and cons of the current senior-friendly planning, design, and policy in solving senior isolation and loneliness? Third, a) what physical aspects should be considered in planning and designing senior isolation solutions, and b) what recommendations are there for future city planning, design, and policy to address this issue?
This study focuses on three communities based on urban culture and form, as depicted in literature: Jongno, Seoul, South Korea; The Villages, FL, USA; and Coimbra, Portugal. Each community exhibits distinctive approaches, encompassing more than just the provision of buildings and housing. Qualitative methods were employed to gain an understanding of aspects that occur within each community. In-depth interviews with stakeholders, followed by document studies, were conducted to compare planning and design schemes. Stakeholders included NGOs, municipalities, representatives of seniors, and local researchers.
Results suggest that successful planning cases and facilities share a common theme of 3 ‘all-age friendly,’ with a focus on maximizing local built environment resources to provide harmonized accessibility for seniors. Additionally, they support and encourage seniors to participate in socio-economic activities, which gives seniors the notion that they are not isolated and are part of the community, mitigating senior isolation. These themes and findings can be applied to future planning and design for seniors with a comprehensive approach, aiming to benefit seniors throughout the entire community.
Recommended Citation
Kim, Soomin, "User Perceptions on Health: Three Cases of Senior-Friendly Cities" (2025). All Dissertations. 4097.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/4097