-Resident
empowerment
Resident
empowerment makes a point about achieving sustainable neighborhoods through
strong leadership, effective engagement and participation by local people. How
GMV is achieved as a successful lifetime community in terms of its design and
final output, is as important as what is done to bring about necessary change.
It is the latter, where residents take part into setting out their needs and
concerns, identifying priorities for action within areas of habitation, and
working together along with local governments in providing a range of services
for their community to flourish in the long term. Resident empowerment could
involve the public as well as the private sector, voluntary and community organizations
that assist resident-led activities on a range of formal and
informal options, from one-off events to community-led asset management, based
on community demand. It is then the job of local government, parish and town
councils on local authority level as well as housing associations, developers
and councils in a wider context to encourage inclusive design of outdoor spaces
and configuration of services to respond to a society of various age and
background.
-Social
networks and well-being
Social networks
and well – being relate to measures that address overall behavior and
intergeneration relations, opportunities for volunteering, work and involvement
as well as measures to address crime. These all feature parts of the physical
environment in relation to how people use and live in this environment and how
they communicate and get involved towards promoting a strong social and
cultural life. This is an important aspect of lifetime neighborhoods in the
scope of the latter to secure place and community evolution and adaptation in
the long turn. Furthermore, it allows residents to participate as active
citizens in their community, link to different groups and activities provided
in the area, as well as enhance the way in which they engage with various age
groups.
-Access
Access
encompasses local infrastructure, along with provision of signage and
information for residents and visitors, that would help them orientate around
areas in which they live and connect to people and services in their immediate
surroundings. A key aspect in lifetime neighborhoods is sustaining a diverse
range of means of transportation with specific focus on public transportation,
reduction of car use and minimum parking. Another crucial aspect of access,
further relates to the potential of defying neighborhoods as ‘’walkable’’.
Walkability here relates not only to the physical aspect of the topography of a
certain site, but also features availability of facilities that correspond to a
wide range of needs. The latter could include places for people to rest along their
journeys, such as sets and benching, accessible restrooms and street design
that favors orientation and way finding.
-Range of
services
The provision
of amenities along with a mix of residential, retail and employment services
also plays an important part in creating ‘’neighborhoodsliness’’ and social
interaction at a local level within lifetime communities. In this case, it is
crucial that the social infrastructure meets the needs of all groups within the
community, as diverse as they may be. Vibrant services as well as their
attractive exteriors could have significant impact on the way people perceive
local shops and retail spaces, which then further impacts on the economic
growth of an area in the long term.
-Public spaces,
green spaces
When talking
about public spaces, we normally refer to a wider built environment. Green
spaces refer to all open spaces: from natural environments, through parks and
gardens, to street greenery and planting. These all carry the potential to
enhance lifetime neighborhoods and the connection with nature while providing
residents with benefits in terms of sociability, health and well-being.
-Appropriate
and flexible housing
Our homes have
a powerful capacity on maintaining our independence, social engagement and
overall quality of life. Housing needs and aspirations, however, tend to change
over time. Awareness of demographic change, user-responsive and adaptable
design and potential for a more inclusive neighborhood design and service lie
in the foundation of every successful lifetime community project. The final and
probably most important aspect of lifetime neighborhoods is therefore related
to the provision of an appropriate housing mix to cater for different age
groups and sizes with related flexible housing, open to ever changing needs as
households expand or shrink. A range of choices, such as standard housing,
sheltered housing or extra care housing, in this case could help maximize the
value of such neighborhoods and render them successful in the long turn.
With meeting
the needs for appropriate housing there is a difference as whether the
neighborhood agenda will be on retrofitting existing accommodation or treating
a new housing development. The challenge with the latter, of course, comes with
the importance of considering both the overall neighborhood design as well as
the individual dwellings.
