An Approach Towards Elder-friendly Cities

By : Sandeep Dua

Page No: 298-314

Abstract
The population of elderly people, i.e. above the age of 60 years has increased substantially in the last two decades in India. It increased from 7.4 per cent in 2001 to 8.3 per cent in 2011 and expected to reach 12.4 per cent by 2026, with 71 per cent in rural and 29 per cent in urban India. Modern cities are increasingly overlooking a vital truth: they belong to their inhabitants. From children and teenagers to the elderly, every generation has unique aspirations and needs that must be reflected and fulfilled by their urban environment. It is a widely accepted fact among the design fraternity that the physical environment that supports the elder people is likely to fulfill the needs of all other age groups. This paper identifies the issues faced by the elderly, discusses the need for age-friendly cities and explores the policy concerns as well as suggests the key design guidelines at local-level outdoors which help in enhancing the quality of life of the elderly in urban India.

Author
Sandeep Dua, Professor, Department of Architecture, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/NL.2025.57.03.3