Developing guidance on housing and neighbourhood environments which support independent living for older people

Introduction

Demographic change is increasing the numbers and percentage of older people in the population and with improvements in health care and support this will continue to grow. Older people preferences are for independent living and environments which physically and sensorily support independent living will enable this. Older people want to feel safe, able to access other people and facilities in their communities, be visible and valued members of their communities and participate in community life.
Sue began her work with older people as a lecturer and researcher at Newcastle University where she co-instigated with the Director for the Institute for Ageing and Health the Housing for Older PEople's (HOPE) Research Group.

 

HOME project

Sue works with Northern Architecture to consider, through participatory community workshops, the views and needs of older people for their home and neighbourhood environments HOME project. This project developed the work and focus of the HOPE group and included the Quality of Life partnership , workshops an exhibition for Architecture week and workshop dissemination of project findings.

 

Workshop presentation to delegates at the Landscape Institute Housing Conference

The results from the HOME project and previous personal research were presented to delegates at the Landscape Institute Conference 2008 Housing Community and Land Use. The interactive workshop on patictpatory techniques used to conside older people’s housing environments were presented to Landscape Architects whose maps and input were analysed and evaluated and included in the conference presentation.

 

Neighbourhood 2020

Northern Architecture has been commissioned by the Northern Housing Consortium to consider how older people want to shape their neighbourhoods for 2020. Northern Architecture employed bluespace environments to provide expertise on landscape architecture and supple,ment the skills of Northern Architecture in community consultation. The practice expertise also included the documentary photography of Samuel.

Lowri Bond, Project Manager  from Northern Architecture said "The built environment is a key factor affecting residents’ ability to get out and about.  By working with older people in a consultative way, we are better able to understand the way elders feel about their neighbourhoods and if we communicate this well, we can raise awareness of these issues and hopefully bring about real change.”
A group of Tyneside residents were brought together in a series of workshops, developed and co-facilitated by bluespace environments to explore how the design of the built environment impacts on the quality of life of older people resulting in a range of ideas and solutions relating to health, technology, navigation, access and street furniture.

The workshops involved much more than a simple consultations, the group worked with Sue Jackson, an illustrator, photographers and architecture students to ensure that the important messages and themes that emerged from the group work, about the way we plan and design places, could be communicated to the industry and local authorities in the best and most visual way possible.

The enormous value of the participatory and site based consultations are highlighted in the words of Mary Dodds, one of the participants in the workshops who said,
“The workshop has let me look at the issues for older people in a very different light, in fact it’s helped me look at cities in a whole new light. I came away thinking of hundreds of ideas on how to improve our neighbourhood, from small details like pavement levels to big things like whole buildings.”

The report resulting from this project will be published by the Northern Housing Consortium in January as part of a conclusion to a larger project on age-friendly housing and neighbourhoods, which aims to foster a greater understanding of the ageing agenda. It will be circulated widely amongst NHC’s members and Northern Architecture’s audiences and partners.

 

Design Matters workshop: design for and with older people

Sue and Samuel assisted in the development of the event and attended the workshop which explored issues of design for and with older people.  The workshop was developed between VOICE North and the University of the Third Age and supported by Newcastle University’s Institute for Ageing and Health and Northumbria University’s Centre for Design Research.  There were activities exploring how inclusive design could improve the way in which we all experience products and services and Samuel provided images for and took images of the event.

 

PPG 17: Open Space Needs Assessment

Open Space Needs Assessment Durham City Council 2008 Subconsultant to Newcastle University Landscape Research Group; an Associate of North East Community Forests Ltd.

 

Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA) and Landscape Appraisal

Sue works as a subconsultant to larger companies providing LVIA and Landscape Appraisals.

• LVIA for renewable energy and Environmental Planning Consultant to Entec 2007-08
• LVIA and landscape appraisal consultant to  ADAS 2006-08
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Landscape and Urban Design research

The practice has carried out research in the following areas -see research page for details

• Green infrastructure  - research dissemination workshop development, facilitation and evaluation June 2009
• Tranquillity mapping - development on national tranquillity map in association with the Universities of Northumbria and Newcastle for CPRE 2006-09
• Green exercise - as an Associate of Northumbria University's Participatory Appraisal Unit for a client consortium 2007
• Public Space Vitality -evaluation of public spaces for the University of Newcastle. Client: Culture North East and One North East 2006-07