AbstractURBAN OUTDOORS:
IMPROVING SOCIAL INTERACTION IN AN URBAN INTER-GENERATIONAL LIVING ENVIRONMENT Outdoor space has been linked to many benefits seen in a person's physical, mental, and social health, therefore, the design of residential outdoor spaces must support and promote the social well‐being of its occupants. The social relationships neccessary to sustain inter‐generational communities can be greatly enhanced through the addition of outdoor space. Studies in the realm of healthcare have shown that visual and physical access to a natural habitat reduces stress and improves patients' recovery (Ulrich, 1999) and that interaction with the younger population improves elders' perceived quality of life (Taylor + Repetti + Seeman, 1997). Both the aging poplation and members of younger generations have shown to benefit from social interactions fostered by the addition of outdoor space to living environments (Marcus, 2000), proving access to outdoor space can greatly impact social health within inter‐generational living. This study is intended to explore the integration of a variety of outdoor spaces at various levels of scale in the design of inter‐generational living in order to support social interaction between residents. It is hoped that through the implementation of design criteria discovered through research, a socially integrated, inter‐generational population can be promoted. |