How does the outdoor environment affect older people’s quality of life?
The inaccessibility and difficulties presented by many outdoor environments is a major problem affecting older people at present. This is further aggravated by a lack of awareness about design features that could support independent activities and make a difference to the quality of their daily lives. OISD:WISE and SURFACE‘s in-depth interviews of 200 older people showed that at least half of the interviewees faced problems in getting outdoors due to barriers in the environment and lack of supportive facilities. Concerns about safety were also significant: the most commonly mentioned places where people felt unsafe after dark were city or town centres and high streets and streets with pubs on, as well as deserted streets and places.
