A Spotlight on Ageism in the Built Environment: Inclusive Design and Placemaking
Max Hampton, Design Advisor, Design Commission for Wales
As conversations about ageism gain momentum, it is increasingly important to recognise how it can be embedded not only in attitudes and language, but also in the physical environments we create. Outdoor spaces and buildings shape how people move around, how welcome we feel, and whether we are able to participate fully in everyday life. Too often, these environments disadvantage older people – and, by extension, our future selves – despite the reality that Wales has an ageing population.
The way we plan, design and manage places plays a significant role in shaping these outcomes. Inclusive design and placemaking offer a way to address ageism by focusing on how people experience places in their everyday lives, supporting independence, connection and well-being as we age. In Wales, the Placemaking Wales Charter provides an important framework for this approach, placing people and community at the heart of decision-making and encouraging a more inclusive, holistic way of creating places.
Ageism in the built environment is rarely intentional. More often, it emerges from design assumptions and processes that prioritise speed, efficiency, standardisation and a narrow idea of the ‘ordinary person’. Streets that prioritise vehicles over people, public spaces with nowhere to sit or meet others, buildings with complex layouts or poor legibility, and environments that assume high levels of physical ability all send unintentional messages about who places are designed for – and who they exclude.
For older people, these decisions can create significant barriers. Outdoor spaces without seating, shelter or accessible toilets limit how long someone can comfortably spend outside their home. Uneven surfaces, poor lighting and unclear wayfinding can reduce confidence, increase the risk of falls and discourage everyday journeys. Roads designed primarily for cars, with wide carriageways, fast traffic or poorly designed crossing opportunities, can make it difficult to cross safely and move around with confidence. Buildings with unclear entrances or confusing internal layouts can feel intimidating or excluding, particularly for people with mobility impairments, people living with dementia, or those with Parkinson’s or sight loss.
The impact of these barriers goes beyond inconvenience. When people feel unsafe, unwelcome or unable to navigate public spaces, they are less likely to leave their homes, take part in community life or maintain social connections. Over time, this can contribute to loneliness, isolation and declining physical and mental health – challenges already recognised as significant issues for older people in Wales.
Importantly, ageism in the built environment does not only affect older people. Places that are difficult to navigate, uncomfortable to spend time in, or reliant on high levels of physical ability can also disadvantage children and disabled people, including people living with Parkinson’s, sight loss or other long-term conditions. Inclusive design, which anticipates a wide range of needs and abilities from the outset, helps ensure places work better for everyone. Designing out ageism therefore benefits a much wider range of people, helping to create places that are inclusive, resilient and adaptable over time.
Addressing ageism requires a shift in how we approach design, planning and development. Rather than treating accessibility or age-friendly features as add-ons or tick-box requirements, inclusive design should be understood as integral to good design. Comfortable places to rest, clear and legible layouts, human-scaled streets, good lighting and shelter, and buildings that are easy to enter and navigate all contribute to environments where people can move with confidence and independence.
Outdoor spaces play a particularly important role in everyday life and well-being. Streets, squares, parks and routes between buildings are where people meet and interact with others, get fresh air and exercise, and feel part of a wider community. When designed to invite people to pause and spend time, rather than simply move through, these spaces – through seating, planting, active edges, protection from the elements and opportunities for play – create opportunities for social interaction across generations. For older people, informal and everyday contact can be a vital source of connection.
Buildings also shape how inclusive a place feels. Clear entrances, simple circulation, good visibility and access to natural light can make buildings more welcoming and easier to use for people of all ages. For people living with dementia, familiar forms, recognisable landmarks and consistent design language can support orientation and confidence, enabling continued engagement with public life.
A helpful way to challenge ageist design assumptions is to think about how places work for people over time. If outdoor spaces and buildings work well for people as they age, they will work better for everyone. This reflects the 8–80 concept: if a place works well for an eight-year-old and an eighty-year-old, it will work better for all. Ageing is not a marginal condition, but a shared human experience, and it is through good design and placemaking that places can respond to people’s changing needs throughout their lives.
In my role as a Design Advisor at the Design Commission for Wales, I see the value of addressing these issues early in the design process. Through our Client Support and Design Review services, we work with clients, designers and decision-makers to consider placemaking, inclusive design and the needs of people of all ages from the outset, helping to shape outdoor spaces and buildings that support inclusion, connection and well-being over time.
Ultimately, outdoor spaces and buildings communicate powerful messages about whose lives are valued. By recognising and addressing ageism in the built environment, we have an opportunity to create places across Wales that support independence, connection and community throughout life, ensuring they work not just for today’s population, but for the people we will all become.