Living in an Age-Friendly Community: Evidence from a Masterplanned Development in Southwest Sydney

Abstract

This paper is situated at the interface of a growing urban studies literature concerned with ‘masterplanning’ practices in urban planning and another, hitherto relatively discrete, body of research concerned with age-friendly cities and communities. The authors are interested in exploring a gap in aging in place literature around how neighbourhoods and residential settings developed with aging in place principles in mind are experienced and perceived by residents. To explore this research gap, the authors analyse qualitative (primarily interview and focus group) data collected in Park Central, a masterplanned development located in the Campbelltown suburb in the southwest region of the Sydney metropolitan area, Australia. This development was delivered in response to a need identified by the state’s land and property development agency, Landcom, for more diverse and affordable medium-density housing in Campbelltown. In particular, a need was identified for housing developments that would be able to sustainably accommodate the changing lifestyle needs of a maturing population in the region. Drawing on our thematic analysis of our data, we discern three key themes in research participants’ experiences of Park Central as a place for aging. These themes are elaborated via recourse to excerpts from our data and discussed with a view to informing how the conception, development and practice of further age-friendly communities is approached.

Satisfaction among the Elderly Living in the Ancient Town of Xiangxi

“…The results of the evaluation index modifications are presented in Table 3. Compared with the principles related to age-friendly housing [66,67] (Table A1), factors affecting the convenience of daily life for the elderly should be supplemented and modified in order that elderly people can complete their daily activities and travel with more convenient paths and smaller movements, without excessive physical exertion and frequent unsafe factors, such as bending, tiptoeing, and rotating. Specific contents to improve the convenience and safety of the lives of the elderly involve evaluation factors, such as plan layout, functional flow line, space scale, and equipment operation.…”