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Population aging is becoming a major challenge in many countries. This paper deals with the elderly’s specific needs in the public open space as it can play a significant role in their social inclusion and could be especially relevant in deprived areas. The main goal is to build a model to evaluate the vulnerability of the public space by focusing on the elderly’s needs, using indicators. A previous analysis of the scientific and policy-oriented literature and of the technical standards and regulations linked with accessibility and social aspects that affect the elderly in urban areas was performed to identify the main dimensions for evaluation. The interjudge agreement technique was applied to validate the indicators with a panel of experts in technical and social disciplines. The model was applied to a vulnerable area in Castellón (East Spain), based on indicators adapted to the specific context features. The agreement level reached by experts was used to weight the indicators. The application of the model permitted the vulnerability in the suggested dimensions to be estimated and a global integrated index of vulnerability in the area to be calculated. It could assist in urban planning decision making toward age-friendly and, therefore, inclusive cities.

The inclusion of gender views in every field and, especially, in urbanism, has become crucial for urban planning. Considering both men’s and women’s interests in an integrated gender equality perspective provides better results that improve the quality of public spaces and engenders a more sustainable society. However, to realize such benefits, efforts are required not only to understand the needs and preferences of urban residents but also to shape policies and develop strategies to mitigate vulnerability with population involvement. In order to help decision makers at the urban level evaluate vulnerability with the inclusion of gender views, this study proposes a model that incorporates the specificities of urban fabric users that face adverse conditions. The model is based on a structured and standardized checklist of key topics that could be applied to any urban development. From this checklist, a list of categories, subcategories, and indicators were proposed and validated using the inter-judge agreement technique. To illustrate this model, this paper presents the case study of Castellón (Spain) in which deprived neighborhoods were analyzed, updating a previous model intended only to detect vulnerability. The results help link policy making to social vulnerability and indicate strategies to reach inclusive neighborhoods via a gender equality approach.

This work proposes a model for decision-making support to help Administrations to undertake urban regeneration and refurbishment by prioritising vulnerable neighbourhoods and buildings. In order to suggest regeneration measures in vulnerable areas, the SWOT analysis is proposed for identifying determining factors of vulnerability. This permits information to be arranged into categories to obtain a multiperspective diagnosis. The complementary CAME methodology completes the above analysis to Correct Weaknesses, Adapt to Threats, Maintain existent Strengths and Explore detected Opportunities. The combination of these methodologies, scarcely used before in urban regeneration, has proven useful for suggesting general urban regeneration guidelines in complex contexts, which urban environments are, where physico-social conditions clearly interrelate. Thus specific Challenges can be suggested and later materialised through specific urban Lines of Action adapted to specific needs in a studied area. When considering the buildings in an area, they present distinct ages, typologies, and structural and constructive features, so refurbishment solutions cannot be standardised. This work's proposal is to intervene in social housing of municipal property that is representative of vulnerable buildings. The results are presented on practical datasheets, where regeneration and refurbishment solutions are summarised and economically estimated. This general methodology can be replicated in different contexts by adjusting specific features of areas. The city of Castellón was selected as an empirical case to validate the proposed model.

El abandono escolar temprano entre los jóvenes de etnia gitana se sitúa en el 63,7 % frente al 25 % de la población general (FSG, 2013), dándose habitualmente en jóvenes de entre 15 y 16 años. El presente trabajo surge ante dicha problemática y tiene como objetivo conocer las experiencias, percepciones y expectativas de los adolescentes absentistas gitanos ante la escolarización Secundaria Obligatoria. Para ello, se ha utilizado una metodología cualitativa, mediante la técnica de grupos de discusión, con una muestra de 7 adolescentes absentistas gitanos de entre 12 y 15 años. Se han diseñado dos grupos homogéneos (chicas y chicos) porque siguiendo las recomendaciones de la OMS (2006) para grupos de discusión, se obtienen resultados más fiables. Para el análisis se ha utilizado el programa MAXQDA 12: Qualitative Data Analysis Software. El guión de la entrevista, se ha realizado a partir de estudios precedentes (Bhopal, 2008(Bhopal, & 2011 FSG, 2002) y recoge las siguientes variables: acceso a la escuela, adquisición de normas, rutinas y ritmos escolares, interacción social en el aula, logros escolares y relación familia-escuela. Los resultados obtenidos nos indican cuales son los factores que inciden en la ausencia reiterada y abandono de la escolarización obligatoria de los adolescentes de etnia gitana. En el caso de la muestra estudiada estos factores son: el racismo y la discriminación percibida, la desmotivación por seguir estudiando y la idea de seguir con los roles familiares tradicionales.