Aging & Social Change: Ninth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

This paper presents the learning process of thirty-three mature students (aged 45 to 76) enrolled in a subject ‘Ideal Living Environment for the Ageing Society: From Theories to Design’ offered by SPEED Hong Kong Polytechnic University. The World Health Organisation (2002) indicates education and learning are important factors to allow older adults to enjoy a life with quality. Nowadays older people are agents of change, innovation and democracy, their role as city dwellers should never be neglected. Although Hong Kong older people are encouraged to participate in community programmes promoting the idea of ‘age friendly city’, they are seldom consulted regarding the design of the city space. In many participatory projects involving elders, they are considered as ‘end-users’, guided by experts to voice their views. In June and July 2019, we will teach the subject mentioned. Our aim is not to involve the students to be passive participants and informants. Based on the idea that learning is “the process of making a new or revised interpretation of the meaning of an experience” (Mezirow), we initiate the students’ awareness of their right to city (Lefebvre). They reflect on their existing living conditions using the photovoice method. They learn to organize visual simulation modeling workshops to design and discuss collectively their ideal habitable environment. Our objective is to empower the students to reflect concretely on what is an age friendly city. This learning process is discussed by the tutors and students to evaluate its empowerment capacity.