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In the dense and hybrid urban conditions emerging globally, urban space is seen not only as a precious and contested commodity, but also as one of the key vehicles for achieving socially, environmentally and economically sustainable urban living. Therefore, the conventional ways of designing, utilizing and managing public spaces need to be revisited and re-conceptualized, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Drawing from contemporary theories and concepts addressing the quality of public spaces, this paper outlines the discourse analysis used to develop an integrated Urban Space Framework to systematically classify, assess, analyze and guide the design of urban spaces in highdensity contexts.

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Associated sensory and cognitive declines progress with ageing and profoundly impact the daily living and quality of life of older adults. In the context of an increased ageing population globally, this paper outlines an exploratory study of socio-sensory properties of two high-density housing neighbourhoods in Singapore and the ways senior local residents perceive their familiar built environments. This study employed exploratory on-site exercises with 44 student researchers (including sensory photo-journeys, documentation of sensory properties and daily activity patterns), and 301 socio-perceptual surveys with local residents, the majority of whom were older adults. The findings reveal important aspects related to sensory assessment and appreciation (e.g., crowdedness, noise, smell, cleanliness), walking experience (e.g., safety, wayfinding) and overall satisfaction with the neighbourhood (e.g., available public amenities, opportunities for inter-generational bonding), some of which correlated with age and reported health condition. Multi-sensory assessment shows the capacity to inform more integrated, empathetic, ability-building and context-specific ageing-friendly neighbourhood design.