All Walks of Life; Placemaking for Age-Inclusive Public Life in Bergsjön

Abstract

What if cities recognised older residents not only as people in need of care, but also as participants in the everyday forms of public life? The project explores ageing as both a social and spatial process something experienced through movement, routines, and encounters in the city. In this sense, age-inclusive cities are not only about accessibility standards or services, but also about creating environments where older adults can comfortably remain present in everyday public life and feel less isolated. The study considers what makes it meaningful or feasible for an older person to go outside whether it’s the chance to socialise, or simply the presence of a comfortable place to pause. Rather than beginning with predefined design solutions, the project draws from the everyday experiences of older residents. Conversations, mapping exercises, and informal interviews gradually reveal routines and some of the small things that shape daily life in the neighbourhood. Building on these insights, participatory methods were used to explore the kinds of outdoor spaces older residents would like to see nearby. This opened up discussion around shared priorities and reflect on the kinds of spatial conditions that support movement, rest, and sociability along daily routes. The findings from this process lead to a series of small-scale spatial proposals placed within the spaces that elders identified. Rather than proposing a universal solution, the project explores an alternative design approach that values the experiences of older individuals as a valuable source of spatial understanding. Instead of delivering a finished outcome, the proposal aims to practise urban design that takes informal outdoor life in old age as something essential rather than optional, and thereby contributing to efforts aimed at developing more age-inclusive public spaces.