Objective: Neighborhood characteristics may be important for promoting walking, but little research has focused on older adults, especially those with cognitive impairment. We evaluated the role of neighborhood characteristics on cognitive function and decline over a 2-year period adjusting for measures of walking. Method: In a study of 64 older adults with and without mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD), we evaluated neighborhood integration and connectivity using geographical information systems data and space syntax analysis. In multiple regression analyses, we used these characteristics to predict 2-year declines in factor analytically derived cognitive scores (attention, verbal memory, mental status) adjusting for age, sex, education, and self-reported walking. Results: Neighborhood integration and connectivity predicted cognitive performance at baseline, and changes in cognitive performance over 2 years. The relationships between neighborhood characteristics and cognitive performance were not fully explained by self-reported walking. Discussion: Clearer definitions of specific neighborhood characteristics associated with walkability are needed to better understand the mechanisms by which neighborhoods may impact cognitive outcomes. These results have implications for measuring neighborhood characteristics, design and maintenance of living spaces, and interventions to increase walking among older adults. We offer suggestions for future research measuring neighborhood characteristics and cognitive function.

The present study aimed to systematically analyze the impact of COVID-19-related social distancing requirements on older adults living in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and to synthesize the literature into thematic action plans to minimize the adverse effects of social isolation. The search included articles published between December 2019 and August 2020 across four databases. The inclusion criteria were used to screen for studies that reported on social isolation and loneliness due to the COVID-19 pandemic in older adults living in LTCFs. This rapid review identified 29 relevant studies and synthesized them into four thematic action plans: technological advancement, remote communication, therapeutic care/stress management, and preventive measures. These thematic action plans and cost-effective strategies can be immediately adopted and used as a resource for all LTCF administrators, healthcare design professionals, and researchers in battling current COVID-19-related issues, and improving social interaction in older adults living in care facilities.

Urban plazas as public spaces occur in every town and city around the world; however, some plazas are more user-friendly and successful than others. This study examined that “aesthetics” also have a significant impact to determine the extent of success of urban plazas and urban open spaces in combination with other quantitative factors, such as centrality of location, provision of services, and amenities. In addition, this research sought to focus on the relationship between visual characteristics and aesthetic response to urban plazas. Photo elicitation and focus interviews were conducted to identify key visual characteristics as well as to examine aesthetic responses to those characteristics. Eight plazas and designed urban open spaces in Dhaka, Bangladesh, featured in the main study, and research methods included a structured questionnaire to collect data and used semantic differential rating scales as a measuring instrument. Outcomes from this research indicate that a positive aesthetic response was linked to specific visual characteristics of urban plazas, suggesting that this information could be used to more effectively refurbish existing and design new urban plazas as public spaces.

Objective: The objective of this review is to outline a comprehensive set of possible design interventions focusing on spatial and environmental design factors influencing positive social interaction, which is one of the key aspects of quality of life (QoL) in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Methods: This systematic literature review synthesized research evidence from seven databases (after the year 2000) spanning medical and health literature, environmental psychology, architecture, interior design, and evidence-based design literature. Results: The key spatial design characteristics of the facilities shown to affect positive social interaction were as follows: (a) The Physical Environment and Setting; (b) Accessibility, Legibility, and Layout; (c) Social Environment and Network; and (d) Staff–Resident Ratio and Care Philosophy. Conclusion: Several critical spatial design features of the facilities were identified. Spatial design interventions could influence the design decisions for future care facilities and provide designers the guidelines that are generalizable regardless of geographic location of the LTCF.

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This article focuses on the important, facilitating role architectural design plays in social interaction within long-term care facilities (LTCFs) serving people with dementia. Here, we apply space syntax, a set of theories and techniques for the analysis of spatial configurations, as an objective measure of environmental characteristics. Almost 150 rounds of behavioral observations were collected in the social spaces of 3 LTCFs. Using the visibility and proximity metrics of space syntax, the locations of occurrence of various social activities in relation to the furniture and spatial layout on architectural floor plans have been identified. The results did not confirm the space syntax hypothesis that spaces with greater visibility and proximity promote more social interaction. Further analysis revealed that when in settings with better visibility and accessibility, the residents were more likely to engage in low levels of interaction. High-level social interactions actually were more likely to occur in settings providing greater privacy (eg, less visibility and accessibility). The findings suggest an important nuance that architectural configuration factors impact not only the likelihood but also the type of conversations likely to occur in certain locations. This would have implications for both design and staff training on how best to utilize social spaces for therapeutic effect, particularly within the context of person-centered care.

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