Assessing age-friendliness of contemporary urban outdoor places in Estonia

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to explore how recently designed and built urban public spaces in Estonia address the concept of age-friendly environments and consider older adults as users of these spaces. This paper presents the evaluation of public spaces built as a result of urban design competitions in ten small towns of Estonia from 2014 until today. Design/methodology/approach This study explored and assessed how contemporary urban outdoor places meet the needs of older adults. For this purpose, this study developed an assessment instrument of age-friendly environment principles based on various sources and conducted fieldworks. Findings This study assumed that the needs of older adults were considered during the design competition and construction, as all towns of competition areas have a significant aging population. The findings suggest that various fundamental principles of universal or age-friendly design are not met, and there are areas of improvement in the inclusive design for all people that supports healthy aging. Originality/value This study can be used as improvement tool for current places in Estonia and basis for future design projects to make public places more age-friendly, specifically senior-friendly.