The Comparative Study on the Impact of Neighborhood Affordance Friendliness on Elderly’s Activity and Neighborhood Space Choosing in New Taipei City, Taiwan

Chuan Ming Tung (Department of Urban Planning and Disaster Management, Ming Chuan University)

This study conducted surveys in early developed small blocks in Banqiao and Xinzhuang Dist., New Taipei City, and the superblocks in newly developed the special zone of National Taipei University in Sanxia Dist, New Taipei City, as research objects to discuss the main activity space categories, activity types, neighborhood mobility of the elderly from different regions of a city. The study also looked into the satisfaction degree of various types of activity spaces and the causes.

The result showed the mobility of the elderly in the special zone of NTPU obviously higher than those of the elderly in Banqiao and Xinzhuang. The elderly mainly used large public open spaces and neighborhood parks. In large public open spaces, personal activities are the preferable types of activities for the elderly. In neighborhood parks, in addition to personal activities, socializing activities (getting together and chatting) was also the main activities for the elderly, as the activity spaces were relatively limited. From the comparison of the preferable neighborhood activity spaces among the elderly, large and well-managed public open spaces with the well- rounded pedestrian system would produce the magnetic effect, with which the elderly tended to go to large public open spaces and overlook other activity spaces in the neighborhood. The causes for the satisfaction degree of the elderly for large public open spaces and neighborhood park affordance are different. Regarding large parks, the elderly reported that they were satisfied with “adequate well-shaded facilities to rest in” while they would not say the parks have good affordances such as zero “unmonitored areas” and adequate “timely facilitation”. As for neighborhood parks, the elderly are more satisfied with the affordances of basic activities and safety, such as “adequate activity space” and “timely facilitation”.