Planning and design of ageing communities

Planning and design incorporate and require a broad, holistic approach–not just the built environment but also the natural environment and health, urban design, transportation, housing and land-use patterns, as well as social care services. Therefore, considering what is an &s;optimal&s; or &s;ideal&s; environment for &s;ageing well&s; is complex and multifaceted. At a European level, innovation in design of ageing communities has revolved around housing and urban design, ambient assisted living, urban environments, dementia-supportive environments, physical activity, age-friendly businesses and services, tourism, transport and the voices of older people. Geography is an interdisciplinary-based subject, a mosaic with a conceptual bricolage and is necessary to reframe designing ageing communities from perspectives of time, space and place. Geographical gerontology opens new ways of capturing the dynamics of peoples&s; experience and the environment. There have been a number of measures assessing the impact of the environment on the well-being of older people on which to build interventions.