TY - JOUR
T1 - A study of housing typology and perceived age-friendliness in an established Hong Kong new town : a person-environment perspective
AU - SUN, Yi
AU - PHILLIPS, David Rosser
AU - WONG, Moses
PY - 2018/1
Y1 - 2018/1
N2 - Our study examines older people’s perceptions towards the urban environment and their spatial experiences through a person-environment perspective. We argue that Person-Environment (P-E) fit is critical to older people’s quality of life: positive environmental stimuli and personal adaptation competence have been held to influence this fit, and quality of fit will eventually affect interactions between older people and place. In a mixed- methods study, a context sensitive place audit was applied to a new town in Hong Kong, with a view to iden- tifying strengths and weaknesses in the built environment and older people’s own strategies of living. Through 302 questionnaires and three focus groups with older participants, the results revealed high appreciation of outdoor spaces, transportation and social participation. The findings also indicate a strong association between housing typology and perceived age-friendliness. People accommodated in public housing estates tended to accord higher scores to their living environment although social exclusion was identified among oldest-old respondents in particular. Older people’s affective links with their living environment across time and their unique life-course experiences may help to explain their relatively relaxed attitudes when they face changes and hardships.
AB - Our study examines older people’s perceptions towards the urban environment and their spatial experiences through a person-environment perspective. We argue that Person-Environment (P-E) fit is critical to older people’s quality of life: positive environmental stimuli and personal adaptation competence have been held to influence this fit, and quality of fit will eventually affect interactions between older people and place. In a mixed- methods study, a context sensitive place audit was applied to a new town in Hong Kong, with a view to iden- tifying strengths and weaknesses in the built environment and older people’s own strategies of living. Through 302 questionnaires and three focus groups with older participants, the results revealed high appreciation of outdoor spaces, transportation and social participation. The findings also indicate a strong association between housing typology and perceived age-friendliness. People accommodated in public housing estates tended to accord higher scores to their living environment although social exclusion was identified among oldest-old respondents in particular. Older people’s affective links with their living environment across time and their unique life-course experiences may help to explain their relatively relaxed attitudes when they face changes and hardships.
KW - Housing typology
KW - Age-friendly city
KW - Well-being
KW - P-E fit
KW - Hong Kong
UR - http://commons.ln.edu.hk/sw_master/6372
UR - https://www2.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85034246416&doi=10.1016%2fj.geoforum.2017.11.001&partnerID=40&md5=3c6aa93b0df14591d9041bb05b5943cb
U2 - 10.1016/j.geoforum.2017.11.001
DO - 10.1016/j.geoforum.2017.11.001
M3 - Journal Article (refereed)
VL - 88
SP - 17
EP - 27
JO - Geoforum
JF - Geoforum
SN - 0016-7185
ER -