Introduction

‘Active and healthy ageing’, with the goal of staying as independent as possible for as long as possible, has continued to be the policy focus in many countries (WHO, 2015). ‘Ageing in place’ and individual responsibility have also become enshrined in policy, reinforcing the importance of designing age-friendly communities that support independent living. To feel safe and comfortable in one's local neighbourhood with access to a variety of activities are crucial factors in retaining independence in later life. ‘Ageing in place’ and ‘place attachment’, another concept well used in ageing research (Smith, 2009), however, assumes some familiarity over time with that place.

Age-friendly cities are viewed as sensitive to age from the perspective of older residents living there. Although this is a critical component, which should be at the heart of all considerations of town planning, increasingly there is a need to assess the environment from the perspective of a visitor or someone who is unfamiliar with the environment. There are three major reasons that older people are increasingly experiencing environments that can be unfamiliar to them. This may be because of travelling as tourists to new areas; urban regeneration; or as a result of cognitive decline, where the familiar becomes unfamiliar.

The central aim of the project was to determine the mechanisms and strategies used by older people to navigate unfamiliar spaces as pedestrians (‘unfamiliar’ defined as new spaces to the older person or spaces that have become unfamiliar). Although there are many studies on accessibility (Granborn et al, 2016; I’DGO, no date), there is less research on the impact and effects of architecture and town design on older people's walkability, usability or their perception of the unfamiliar built environment.

The effects of the built environment and use of space on older people's self-perception and identity are being increasingly recognised (Peace et al, 2006). As people go through the life course, their use of space changes (Rowles, 1978).