Abstract
Evidence on the social inclusion of built environment in age friendly communities for diverse older adults has been scarce. Using the frameworks of intersectionality and third places, the purpose of this longitudinal study is to examine the characteristics and trends of social inclusion in designed third places among the AARP Age-Friendly Communities from 2012 to 2022. Social inclusion is measured by diversity, equity, inclusion, and social participation. Third Places are measured by outdoor public spaces, public places, and community and health services. The qualitative analysis reveals that the Age Friendly Communities Movement has added designed third places such as community gardens, intergenerational health healing parks, and African American culture and heritage libraries that are designed to facilitate inclusive aging-in-place, and that inclusive third places are designed for people with different backgrounds. The quantitative analysis indicates that less than one fifth of age-friendly communities have inclusive third places for diverse older Americans, and that since the peak in 2016-2017, the new inclusive third places in these communities have declined and reached the lowest level in the pandemic years from 2020 to 2022. Meanwhile, the dramatic increase of AARP Community Challenge Grants for inclusive age friendly communities predicts a great uptick in inclusive third places in the coming years. However, the ratio between the total Age Friendly Communities and the Age Friendly Communities with inclusive third place has significantly decreased from 2012 to 2022. Limitations of the study and the practice implications of the findings for the inclusive age-in-place design are discussed.
Presenters
Lihua HuangAssociate Professor, School of Social Work, Grand Valley State University, Michigan, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
THIRD PLACES, AGING IN PLACE, AGE FRIENDLY COMMUNITIES, SOCIAL INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, LONGITUDINAL STUDY, MIXED METHODS, OLDER AMERICANS
