Planning Neighbourhoods for all Ages and Abilities: A Multi-generational Perspective

Taking a more integrated approach to planning our neighbourhoods for the continuum of inhabitants’ ages and abilities makes sense given our current and future population composition. Seldom are the built environment requirements of diverse groups (e.g. children, seniors, and people with disability) synthesised, resulting in often unfriendly and exclusionary neighbourhoods. This often means people experience barriers or restriction on their freedom to move about and interact within their neighbourhood. By presenting two cases from South-East Queensland, through the lenses of different ages and abilities - older children with physical disabilities and their families and seniors, we intend to increase recognition of users' needs and stimulate the translation of knowledge to the practice of planning inclusive neighbourhoods. (State of Australian Cities Conference 2015)