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Urbanization and ageing are the two main processes currently shaping the social environment worldwide. In this context, creating senior friendly cities should be an important target, especially in developed countries, which have the highest rates of population over 60 years old. Our study focuses on the use of urban parks and aims to analyze how friendly their planning, design, and use are for elderly people. We used field observation carried out in four case study parks in Bucharest (Romania) to assess the spatial planning and design of urban parks, and to identify the environmental problems. We applied a total of 5752 questionnaires (16% to elderly people) in the majority of Bucharest’s parks in order to analyze the behavior and perception of seniors in contrast with that of the general population. The analysis highlighted the lack of endowments especially planned or designed for seniors and the multiple problems deriving from their interaction with other visitor groups which make them feel disrespected or unsafe. Our study highlights the need for including the needs, demands, and desires of elderly people in decision making processes, with the aim of creating inclusive and senior friendly parks.

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The uncontrolled development of built-up areas determines the inclusion of peripheral and ex-urban land uses inside the settlements. In the present study, we investigated the geographic differences in the rate of land conversion to cemetery areas, considered as peripheral areas, from the Bucharest Metropolitan Area. Using geospatial data about the cemeteries and their adjacent land uses, we evaluated the spatial changes of cemeteries at LAU2 (Local Administrative Units level 2) level (i.e. municipalities, cities, communes). Between 1975 and 2008, we observed an increase in the number of cemeteries with a surface area of 100.8 ha, mainly in areas with poor environmental quality in proximity of Bucharest city. Cemeteries tend to become common land uses within the built-up areas, occupying increasing surface areas (up to 3.5%), with important consequences, especially in areas close to Bucharest city. Cemeteries are a good example of peripheral land use, characterised by a permanent impact on human settlements. The inclusion of peripheral land uses inside the settlements promotes urban sprawl, favours inefficient strategic planning and generates new land use interactions. An increase in the management efficiency of peripheral land uses can alleviate negative interactions and favour sound planning options for the sustainability of settlements.