A Continuous Spatial Pattern Analysis for Enhancing Social Vitality of Elderly in Integrated Nursing Homes with Urban Parks

With the increasing prevalence of aging in contemporary societies, the necessity of designing environments that go beyond addressing merely the physical and medical needs of the elderly — toward reinforcing their social presence and human dignity — has become ever more urgent. This study explores the design of a senior living facility embedded within an urban park; a borderless yet safe and purposefully structured space, organized through a hierarchical sequence of open areas ranging from private to public. This spatial configuration enables elderly residents to engage voluntarily and diversely with their surroundings. In the proposed design, older adults can participate in varying levels of spatial interaction depending on their physical, emotional, or psychological conditions — from private spaces such as terraces and inner courtyards to public zones including a park, greenhouse, library, shop, sandy beach, gym, and café. This inclusive engagement not only fosters a sense of usefulness, independence, and vitality among the elderly, but also ensures their visible and active presence in society — directly influencing younger generations’ perceptions of aging, elder care, and their own future. While fulfilling necessary care and service requirements, the proposed design introduces a new paradigm for senior living: one that maintains and enhances the elderly’s social ties and transforms the traditional notion of a nursing home from a place of isolation into a participatory, inspiring, and vibrant environment. The study employs a descriptive-analytical method within a human-centered design approach and constitutes part of a broader research project, whose extended version is currently being prepared for submission to international academic journals.

کلیدواژه ها:

Continuous Spatial Pattern ، Social Vitality ، Elderly ، Integration of Nursing Homes with Urban Parks ، Environmental Design ، Social Interaction