Shared Space Essay

Shared spaces has numerous advantages which can be enjoyed by people of different age groups and provides numerous opportunities to develop close connections and this gets very important as one ages since life events could trigger isolation. Therefore, these communities aims to connect people and at the same time are ensured safety. In Lorraine Farrelly’s Designing for Third Age, she writes about different shared spaces located in different regions of the world from the United States, Europe and United Kingdom and even though they are in different parts of the world, they all have one goal which is to create a sense of community where everyone feels safe and a part of. Sølund, is one of the largest nursing homes located in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has taken many clues from London’s traditional urban fabric where walking and cycling is part of everyday life. Block size, therefore, balances ease of pedestrian and cyclist access, permeability and connectivity with the ability to support a variety of building types, uses and adaptability. It is also recognised that as people grow older and potentially less confident in navigating the city, built form can play a role in wayfinding, providing memorable and distinct places or landmarks. There are many strategies employed to encourage people to walk and cycle throughout the Park and hence reduce reliability on car usage. In order to encourage long-term social, as well as economic, investment in the area, the communities of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park are designed as ‘Lifetime Neighbourhoods’. The homes all meet Lifetime Homes standards, which means they have incorporated features and adaptability that ensure they will meet residents’ changing needs over time. The design of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park thus recognises that in order to become a healthy, sustainable part of the city, both urban and residential configurations must consider the evolving needs and desires of people throughout their