Abstract
Populations across much of the world are ageing. In the UK, 1 in 5 people will be aged 65 and over by 2020 (Allen, 2008). This has sparked growing interest in the potential to develop ‘healthy communities which support older people to live lives which are as fulfilling as possible’ (Department of Health, 2001: 107). Such interest is based on the recognition that, contrary to existing narratives of decline, ‘old age can also be marked by the acquisition of new roles and, potentially, be a flourishing time of mobility and new creativity’ (Gilroy, 2012: 74–75).
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Allen J (2008) Older People and Wellbeing. London: Institute for Public Policy Research.
Alves S, Aspinall P, Ward Thompson C and Sugiyama T (2008) Preferences of older people for environmental attributes of local parks: the use of conjoint analysis. Facilities 26: 433–453.
Bell SL, Phoenix C, Lovell R and Wheeler BW (2015) Using GPS and geo-narratives: a methodological approach for understanding and situating everyday green space encounters. Area 47: 88–96.
Berto R (2007) Assessing the restorative value of the environment: a study on the elderly in comparison with young adults and adolescents. International Journal of Psychology 42: 331–341.
Chow H (2013) Outdoor fitness equipment in parks: a qualitative study from older adults’ perceptions. BMC Public Health 13: 1216–1225.
Cosgriff M, Little D and Wilson E (2009) The nature of nature: how New Zealand women in middle to later life experience nature-based leisure. Leisure Sciences 32: 15–32.
Department of Health (2001) National Service Framework: For Older People. London: HMSO.
Gardner P (2011) Natural neighbourhood networks: important social networks in the lives of older adults aging in place. Journal of Aging Studies 25: 263–271.
Gilroy R (2008) Places that support human flourishing: lessons from later life. Planning Theory and Practice 9: 145–163.
Gilroy R (2012) Wellbeing and the neighbourhood: promoting choice and independence for all ages. In: S Atkinson, S Fuller and J Painter (eds) Wellbeing and Place. Farnham, UK: Ashgate Publishing Limited.
Gross H and Lane N (2007) Landscapes of the lifespan: exploring accounts of own gardens and gardening. Journal of Environmental Psychology 27: 225–241.
Kingsley J, Townsend M and Henderson-Wilson C (2009) Cultivating health and wellbeing: members’ perceptions of the health benefits of a Port Melbourne community garden. Leisure Studies 28: 207–219.
Krenichyn K (2006) ‘The only place to go and be in the city’: women talk about exercise, being outdoors, and the meanings of a large urban park. Health and Place 12: 631–643.
Kweon B, Sullivan W and Wiley A (1998) Green common spaces and the social interaction of inner-city older adults. Environment and Behavior 30: 832–858.
Milligan C, Bingley A and Gatrell A (2005) ‘Healing and feeling’: the place of emotions in later life. In: J Davidson, L Bondi and M Smith (eds) Emotional Geographies. Aldershot, UK: Ashgate.
Milligan C, Gatrell A and Bingley A (2004) ‘Cultivating health’: therapeutic landscapes and older people in northern England. Social Science and Medicine 58: 1781–1793.
O’Brien E (2006) Social housing and green space: a case study in Inner London. Forestry 79: 535–551.
Parry J, Vegeris S, Hudson MHB and Taylor R (2004) Independent living in later life. London: A report of research carried out by the Policy Studies Institute on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
Seaman P, Jones R and Ellaway A (2010) It’s not just about the park, it’s about integration too: why people choose to use or not use urban green spaces. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 7: 78–87.
Spencer B, Williams K, Mahdjoubi L and Sara R (2013) Third places for the third age: the contribution of playable space to the well-being of older people. In: R Coles and Z Millman (eds) Landscape, Well-Being and Environment. Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
Sugiyama T and Ward Thompson C (2008) Associations between characteristics of neighbourhood open space and older people’s walking. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 7: 41–51.
Townsend M (2006) Feel blue? Touch green! participation in forest/woodland management as a treatment for depression. Urban Forestry and Urban Greening 5: 111–120.
Wiles J, Allen R, Palmer A, Hayman K, Keeling S and Kerse N (2009) Older people and their social spaces: a study of well-being and attachment to place in Aotearoa New Zealand. Social Sciences and Medicine 68: 664–671.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2015 Sarah L. Bell and Benedict W. Wheeler
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bell, S.L., Wheeler, B.W. (2015). Local Environments and Activity in Later Life: Meaningful Experiences in Green and Blue Spaces. In: Tulle, E., Phoenix, C. (eds) Physical Activity and Sport in Later Life. Global Culture and Sport Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-42932-2_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-137-42932-2_16
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-56882-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-42932-2
eBook Packages: Palgrave Social Sciences CollectionSocial Sciences (R0)