Housing and neighbourhood diagnosis for ageing in place: Multidimensional Assessment System of the Built Environment (MASBE)

• Published in: Sustainable cities and society 2020-11, Vol.62, p.102422-102422, Article 102422
• Main Authors: Mercader-Moyano, Pilar, Flores-García, Mariana, Serrano-Jiménez, Antonio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ageing in place; Built environment; Decision-support system; Multi-criteria analysis; Policy-making implications; Urban regeneration
• ISSN: 2210-6707; 2210-6715
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2020.102422

•System for diagnosing the built environment from the perspective of the elderly.•Assessment procedure based on 35 variables organised in 7 key dimensions is defined.•Operation and replicability of the system are tested in international case studies.•Key outcomes are discussed regarding ideal weighted values for ageing in place.•Implications for deciding age-friendly measures with social acceptance are provided. Current urban, health and social challenges demand new multidisciplinary assessment systems for decision-making in the built environment from the perspective of the elderly, as an even more vulnerable population. This research contributes with a Multidimensional Assessment System of the Built Environment (MASBE) that provides an integral diagnosis on the perceived suitability of urban and housing environments for an ageing population, whose novel approach is structured and weighted through 35 multidisciplinary variables that are organised in seven dimensions: design, accessibility, comfort, maintenance, security and health, use and control, and stimulus. The system is applied and tested in reference case studies from Spain and Mexico, in order to demonstrate its operation and replicability. The weighted and displayed results help to identify the weaknesses and strengths of each application scale, obtaining average values far from 7.50, as the ideal value for ageing in place, and certain dimensions below 5.00, discussing through a sensitivity analysis the main influencing factors, health risks and major demands of elderly residents before deciding action strategies. The key outcomes incorporate useful implications for policy-makers, promoters and construction firms by enabling assessment procedures to adapt urban and housing spaces for the elderly, thereby ensuring satisfactory proposals in the built environment.