Ageing cities: redesigning the urban space

The existing city must be redesigned with the elderly population in mind. This paper questions the way urban designers, architects and landscapers are forced to rethink the existing city and all new public spaces to fit the needs of an active-ageing population. The paper is organized in four parts: It reviews demographic tendencies and identifies the main needs of the elderly in public spaces. It discusses the advantage of active ageing neighbourhoods vs. deserted public spaces in housing areas, the issue of intergenerational spaces and the new design solutions for inclusive urban spaces. It analyses six case studies in Lisbon. Our conclusion is that if we adapt urban spaces (streets, squares, parks, buildings) to the needs of the elderly, they can more easily “age in place” remaining in their lifetime neighborhoods, close to friends, relatives and acquaintances — therefore contributing for a living city