Assessment of Physical Attributes for Age-Appropriate Open Spaces within Gated Communities through two Case Studies at Madurai, Tamilnadu, India

Abstract

With the increase in the recent pandemic conditions, the importance of closed community open spaces has gained a lot of importance in satisfying the need for public spaces within an urban fabric. Also, the real-estate trends have always publicised the presence of common public facilities within the gated communities, such as play parks, street furniture, temple, etc., an extreme luxury compared to any other residential facility available in the city. However, it is crucial to analyse its age appropriateness to understand whether these spaces can effectively engage users of varied age groups. Doing so will also result in a comprehensive conclusion to interpret activeness and safety. The study is performed within two planned mixed housing gated communities with multiple pockets of open spaces intended for recreation and leisure. This paper attempts to identify major physical and ambient features that commonly result in a more age-appropriate space. Since the findings are derived based on quantified subjectivity, the study includes a questionnaire survey, activity and behaviour mapping, and critical analysis of the physical setup. This study discusses various case-specific design decisions that can be employed to establish more inclusive open spaces within a gated community by analysing attributes such as zoning, proximity to allied activities, territoriality, and defensibility. Since the findings highlight the behavioural needs emerging due to the coexistence of demographic age ranges. This study would be beneficial for architects, landscape architects and urban designers to create ageappropriate open spaces.

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