Designing Age-Friendly Communities: Exploring Qualitative Perspectives on Urban Green Spaces and Ageing in Two Indian Megacities

Abstract

The World Health Organization and the United Nations have increasingly acknowledged the importance of urban green space (UGS) for healthy ageing. However, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) like India with exponential ageing populations have inadequate UGS. This qualitative study examined the relationships between UGS and healthy ageing in two megacities in India. Participants were recruited using snowball sampling in New Delhi and Chennai and semi-structured interviews were conducted with consenting participants (N = 60, female = 51%; age > 60 years; fluent in English, Hindi, or Tamil). Interviews were recorded, transcribed, translated, and analysed using inductive and thematic analysis. Benefits of UGS included community building and social capital, improved health and social resilience, physical activity promotion, reduced exposure to noise, air pollution, and heat. Poorly maintained UGS and lack of safe, age-friendly pedestrian infrastructure were identified as barriers to health promotion in later life. Neighbourhood disorder and crime constrained older adults’ use of UGS in low-income neighbourhoods. This study underscores the role of UGS in the design of age-friendly communities in India. The findings highlight the benefits of UGS for older adults, particularly those living in socially disadvantaged or underserved communities, which often have least access to high-quality parks and green areas.

Does Neighborhood Status Affect Access to a Healthy Built Environment?

“…Given the generally low rates of physical activity and higher rates of overweight across all of Indore, it is unsurprising to see that regardless of neighborhood status there appeared to be generally regular presence of park hazards and lower access to parks for adults, and greater access to fast foods and namkeen stores than fresh food stores. In line with the literature from New Delhi and Chennai (Adlakha et al, 2021), slum areas in Indore appeared to have lower access to any parks, and when parks were present there appeared to be some additional issues with safety. Past analysis conducted by the Building Healthy Cities team as part of the Health Promoting Schools initiative in Indore showed that, before the COVID-19 pandemic, only 68% of public schools had a playground and 17% had a sports teacher (Bachani et al, 2020;Bakhtawar, 2021).…”

“…Research conducted in Mumbai, India found that the quality and accessibility -but not the quantity -of green spaces were associated with neighborhood-level SES, with higher SES neighborhoods having better access to green spaces (Sathyakumar et al, 2019). Qualitative research in New Delhi and Chennai also found that low-income populations reported less access to green spaces, along with lower quality, maintenance, and safety of green spaces (Adlakha et al, 2021).…”

Comportamento de idosos para a promoção da saúde: análise segundo a teoria de Nola Pender

“…Ações como proporcionar áreas verdes em espaços urbanos contribui para a melhoria da saúde, concomitantemente devem ser minimizadas possíveis barreiras, como dificuldade de acesso e falta de instalações amigáveis ao idoso, prevendo superfície antiderrapante e iluminação adequada (29) .…”

Aging Experiences among Older People in Conakry/Guinea: Towards an Age-Friendly City and Community

“…A qualitative study examined the relationships between urban green space and healthy aging in two megacities in India. It reports that green spaces are poorly maintained in addition to the lack of safe and age-friendly pedestrian infra- [18]. For their part, Tanyi PL et al also claimed in a research conducted in Nigeria in 2018 that many community settings are not adapted to the older people [6].…”