PhD Seminar — THE ROLE OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD BUILT ENVIRONMENT

The neighbourhood is widely regarded as a setting that affords functional, social and psychological support and opportunities to maintain community-based activities and social participation for people living with dementia (PLWD). The “Dementia-inclusive Spaces for Community Access, Participation, and Engagement (DemSCAPE)” study aims to identify spatial and temporal patterns in activities undertaken outside home by people living with dementia, and ways in which the neighbourhood-built environment affects their outdoor mobility and social participation. A series of sit-down and video and photo documented walk-along interviews were conducted with 32 participants who are living with (mild to moderate) dementia or mild cognitive impairment in British Columbia, Canada. Findings shed light on how people living with dementia understand and navigate the neighbourhood environment, and features that prompt recall of routes, places, and events, and support orientation and wayfinding. The study offers planners and designers awareness and insights into the lived experience of navigating the neighbourhood environment with the condition of dementia and guidance on adopting a dementia-friendly and inclusive approach in policy and practice. To help municipalities achieve their vision of dementia-inclusive streets and outdoor spaces, evidence-based Knowledge Mobilization (KM) resources were produced to create education and training tools for municipal planners, as well as members of community-based organizations.

 

• All PolyU PhD students and SD staff are welcome. 
• This Zoom meeting accommodates 100 participants at most.
• Event registration is required and on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Successful registrants will receive a confirmation email with the Zoom meeting details before the event.