Work

Research on Strategies for Creating an Age-Friendly Community Commercial Complex Environment in Shanghai

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This study investigates the relationship between community commercial center spaces and elderly behavior, focusing on governance mechanisms that shape these spaces and their impact on enhancing elderly life and the community environment. Field research was conducted in the ‘Guohe 1000’ community commercial project in Shanghai, targeting individuals aged 60 and above with independent mobility, including wheelchair users. Through behavioral observation and interviews, both individual and group activities were examined, emphasizing behavioral patterns, spatial domains, and social interactions. Findings reveal that factors such as gender, age, and social networks are positively correlated with the spatial development of community commercial centers. To foster elderly-friendly environments, improvements are needed in utilization balance, secondary activity spaces, age-sensitive design, and operational management. The paper’s novelty lies in two aspects: first, it broadens research into community commercial centers by tracing the construction process of spatial forms; second, it applies environmental behaviorism and environmental gerontology frameworks to integrate individual and collective elderly behaviors into systematic data collection and quantitative analysis. Together, these insights contribute to more inclusive strategies for designing and managing community commercial complexes that support active aging and enhance urban social sustainability.

Source: Buildings

DOI: 10.3390/buildings15213831

Authors: Junyu Pan, Xinyao Lu, Yanzhe Hu

Institutions: UNSW Sydney, Tongji University

Language: English

Topic: Aging, Elder Care, and Social Issues

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137