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The deterioration of the built environment, as well as poor traffic and pedestrian conditions, creates obstacles to active mobility, active ageing and functional abilities among older adults residing in heritage city cores. This has negative impacts on their social inclusiveness, quality of life and well-being. The walled city, which encompasses Jaipur’s heritage neighbourhood, is one of the few planned cities in India, extending back to the 18th century, and is considered a tourist attraction. With an in-depth study, we use Jaipur’s walled city to examine how supporting a better quality of life for an ageing population can have co-benefits for the tourism economy.
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Target audience
Planners, Architects, Local councils, Academicians and Researchers
The problem
Population ageing projections, as a demographic future, are set to pose stresses on developing nations and point to the need for creation of age-friendly infrastructures. However, rapid urbanisation and deterioration in out-of-home built environments in cities, particularly in heritage cores, create challenges. Specifically, to the functional abilities and social inclusion of older adult residents. With threatening traffic conditions, poor pedestrian conditions, and cash-strapped amenity provision, the opportunity for active mobility for physical activity and performance of activities of daily life gets compromised.
What we did and why
We have tried to identify critical challenges experienced by older adult residents to active mobility in out-of-home environments, particularly in heritage city cores in the walled city of Jaipur. Qualitative data was collected through semi-structured interviews, and an observational visual analysis verified the issues.
Our study’s contribution
Our study finds that poor traffic conditions and uncontrolled vehicle volumes have deteriorated pleasant, comfortable walking experiences among older adult residents in the heritage city cores of the Walled City, Jaipur. Despite a rich heritage environment, the opportunity for active mobility in out-of-home environments is often marred by congestion arising from local obstructions, poor pedestrian quality and amenities. Unregulated parked vehicles result in the loss of valuable public and open spaces.
Impacts for city policy and practice
Given the foreseeable demographic trend of population ageing, it is imperative to address the age-specific built environment needs of older adult residents. Though heritage city cores in walled city Jaipur inherit a built environment rich in culture and heritage, the creation of amenity-rich, safe and comfortable pedestrian prioritised linkages between home and destination environment and streamlining parking problems could help to enhance both the aesthetics of the public realm and at the same time enhance age-friendliness.
Further information
Full research article:
Determining the physical environment and safety influencers for active ageing and ageing-in-place in heritage city cores in the walled city of Jaipur, India by Parshant Rehal, Prabhjot Singh Chani, Sonal Atreya and Harsimran Kaur
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