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Addressing older adults’ needs with built environment features –
Systematic literature review
Mateja Erce1*, Dean Lipovac1,2, Michael D. Burnard1,2
1 InnoRenew CoE, Livade 6a, 6310 Izola, Slovenia, mateja.erce@innorenew.eu
2 Andrej Marušič Institute, University of Primorska, Muzejski trg 2, 6000 Koper, Slovenia, dean.lipovac@innorenew.eu, mike.burnard@innorenew.eu
* Corresponding author
Background: Older adults, a fast growing and vulnerable group, face physical and psychosocial challenges, while losing
resources to satisfy their own needs despite little change in their needs (ten Bruggencate et al., 2019). Because older adults
interact with the built environment constantly, it is a promising way to support them as they face these challenges. However,
built environments are more associated with satisfying basic needs while neglecting higher needs (Altomonte et al., 2020). To
address these gaps, we assessed scientific literature to identify characteristics of the built environment that may address older
adults’ basic, psychological, and spiritual needs.
Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines in November and December 2021
using Scopus, PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar. The search queries included keywords related to “older adults”,
“built environment”, and “needs” or “well-being”. Articles were included if they involved people aged 65 years or more and were
written in English. Needs were assessed within Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the Social production function – Successful
ageing model (Lindenberg, 1996; Maslow, 1943).
Results: 13,533 articles were identified, 72 met inclusion criteria, and additional 5 articles were identified through other
sources. The review revealed that older adults’ basic needs are mainly addressed by lighting, paths, sound, and mobility support,
psychological with natural environment, views, seats, and sounds, while spiritual needs are addressed with natural environments.
Conclusions: The knowledge gained can be used to help designers, investors, and other practitioners to shape the built
environment to improve the well-being of older adults by supporting them in meeting their needs.
Keywords: older adults, built environment, needs, systematic literature review
Acknowledgment: The authors gratefully acknowledge the European Commission for funding the Pilots for Healthy and
Active Ageing (GA# 857188) and InnoRenew CoE (GA# 739574) H2020 projects.
REFERENCES
Altomonte, S., Allen, J., Bluyssen, P.M., Brager, G., Heschong, L., Loder, A., Schiavon, S., Veitch, J.A., Wang, L., Wargocki, P.,
2020. Ten questions concerning well-being in the built environment. Build. Environ. 180, 106949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
buildenv.2020.106949
Lindenberg, S., 1996. Continuities in the Theory of Social Production Functions, in: Lindenberg, S., Ganzeboom, H.B.G. (Eds.),
Verklarende Sociologie: Opstellen Voor Reinhard Wippler [Explanatory Sociology: Essays in Honor of Reinhard Wippler]. Thesis
Publishers, Amsterdam, pp. 169–184.
Maslow, A.H., 1943. A theory of human motivation. Psychol. Rev. 50, 370–396. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36875-
3_12
Nieboer, A., Lindenberg, S., Boomsma, A., Van Bruggen, A.C., 2005. Dimensions of well-being and their measurement: The Spf-
Il scale. Soc. Indic. Res. 73, 313–353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-004-0988-2
Nieboer, A.P., Cramm, J.M., 2018. Age-Friendly Communities Matter for Older People’s Well-Being. J. Happiness Stud. 19,
2405–2420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9923-5
ten Bruggencate, T., Luijkx, K.G., Sturm, J., 2019. When your world gets smaller: How older people try to meet their social needs,
including the role of social technology. Ageing Soc. 39, 1826–1852. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X18000260
28 1 7 – 1 8 N OVE M B E R 2 0 2 2 I I Z O L A , S LOVE N I A
Systematic literature review
Mateja Erce1*, Dean Lipovac1,2, Michael D. Burnard1,2
1 InnoRenew CoE, Livade 6a, 6310 Izola, Slovenia, mateja.erce@innorenew.eu
2 Andrej Marušič Institute, University of Primorska, Muzejski trg 2, 6000 Koper, Slovenia, dean.lipovac@innorenew.eu, mike.burnard@innorenew.eu
* Corresponding author
Background: Older adults, a fast growing and vulnerable group, face physical and psychosocial challenges, while losing
resources to satisfy their own needs despite little change in their needs (ten Bruggencate et al., 2019). Because older adults
interact with the built environment constantly, it is a promising way to support them as they face these challenges. However,
built environments are more associated with satisfying basic needs while neglecting higher needs (Altomonte et al., 2020). To
address these gaps, we assessed scientific literature to identify characteristics of the built environment that may address older
adults’ basic, psychological, and spiritual needs.
Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines in November and December 2021
using Scopus, PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Google Scholar. The search queries included keywords related to “older adults”,
“built environment”, and “needs” or “well-being”. Articles were included if they involved people aged 65 years or more and were
written in English. Needs were assessed within Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the Social production function – Successful
ageing model (Lindenberg, 1996; Maslow, 1943).
Results: 13,533 articles were identified, 72 met inclusion criteria, and additional 5 articles were identified through other
sources. The review revealed that older adults’ basic needs are mainly addressed by lighting, paths, sound, and mobility support,
psychological with natural environment, views, seats, and sounds, while spiritual needs are addressed with natural environments.
Conclusions: The knowledge gained can be used to help designers, investors, and other practitioners to shape the built
environment to improve the well-being of older adults by supporting them in meeting their needs.
Keywords: older adults, built environment, needs, systematic literature review
Acknowledgment: The authors gratefully acknowledge the European Commission for funding the Pilots for Healthy and
Active Ageing (GA# 857188) and InnoRenew CoE (GA# 739574) H2020 projects.
REFERENCES
Altomonte, S., Allen, J., Bluyssen, P.M., Brager, G., Heschong, L., Loder, A., Schiavon, S., Veitch, J.A., Wang, L., Wargocki, P.,
2020. Ten questions concerning well-being in the built environment. Build. Environ. 180, 106949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
buildenv.2020.106949
Lindenberg, S., 1996. Continuities in the Theory of Social Production Functions, in: Lindenberg, S., Ganzeboom, H.B.G. (Eds.),
Verklarende Sociologie: Opstellen Voor Reinhard Wippler [Explanatory Sociology: Essays in Honor of Reinhard Wippler]. Thesis
Publishers, Amsterdam, pp. 169–184.
Maslow, A.H., 1943. A theory of human motivation. Psychol. Rev. 50, 370–396. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36875-
3_12
Nieboer, A., Lindenberg, S., Boomsma, A., Van Bruggen, A.C., 2005. Dimensions of well-being and their measurement: The Spf-
Il scale. Soc. Indic. Res. 73, 313–353. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-004-0988-2
Nieboer, A.P., Cramm, J.M., 2018. Age-Friendly Communities Matter for Older People’s Well-Being. J. Happiness Stud. 19,
2405–2420. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-017-9923-5
ten Bruggencate, T., Luijkx, K.G., Sturm, J., 2019. When your world gets smaller: How older people try to meet their social needs,
including the role of social technology. Ageing Soc. 39, 1826–1852. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X18000260
28 1 7 – 1 8 N OVE M B E R 2 0 2 2 I I Z O L A , S LOVE N I A
