Designing for Sustainable Community Transformation: Age-Friendly Communities for the Future

Abstract

With the accelerated ageing of the world’s population, countries are focusing on solving various life issues of seniors through the power of diverse communities to spend their twilight years in quality. In the context of active ageing and community transformation, this study explores sustainable design strategies for age-friendly communities based on the theory of Design for Sustainability (DfS). The Sustainable Transformation of Age-Friendly Communities (STAFC) indicator is the analysis criterion. Case studies of ageing communities in four countries of China, the USA, Spain, and Italy are analyzed in the following four areas: Outdoor space and buildings, Transport, Social participation, Civic participation, and employment. The positive role and impact of the theory in design planning strategies for ageing communities are demonstrated, illustrating future trends in sustainable ageing community design planning, and providing references for future research.