Aiming at the rural-urban background, the paper research content is that the outdoor space design adjusting to aging population. It is noteworthy that the “empty nest” becomes a social phenomenon in China. The community and the village are the are population most centralized region, it is also the main places that old man consume their leisure time. Outdoor space design should be suitable for the local natural climatic conditions and cultural customs. Outdoor space in Hunan of China appropriates local opened space. The high quality design of outdoor space will create conditions for social endowment and self-help endowment. Outdoor activity space is closely linked with the old people’s quality of life. Function of outdoor space includes contact and the exercise as well as manual labor and pastime. Outdoor space design strategy consists of barrier-free design, identification design and activity space. The paper thinks that: “Doing to older, joy to older” is the highest state of old age. This needs the joint efforts of the family and community, needs to assume by physical space. The outdoor is the main site of activity for old man. Taking exercise, accompanying with others or pets, association and manual labor are the main content to outdoor space design.
In China, before reform and openness, the urban population was restricted by housing, most adult children lived together with their parents. The rural population be fettered by the household registration system, young labors mostly stay in birthplace. After the marriage, they and parents constituted their united family, even if the married children had new house, it was also not far apart from their parent’s. Under this circumstance, on the one hand, it is possible that the children assume the responsebility to support their parents, on the other hand, the old man can help their children at home, take care of the third generation, they are still busy and full.
With the progress of the times and the improvement of people’s living standard, people are much easier to choose the way of life that they love with freedom. More and more young people are looking for a job as apart from their parents, and the new partner find love nest for themselves. The new situation results in old man staying in their old house, loneliness and dolefulness. It is noteworthy that the “empty nest” becomes a social phenomenon. To abide by the old saying “as parents alive, don’t travel far away” has become not realistic, social endowment, self-help endowment put on the agenda.
The community and the village are population most centralized region, it is also the main places that old man consume their leisure time. The high quality design of outdoor space will create conditions for social endowment and self-help endowment.
This paper will discuss the function, classification and design method of outdoor space in the residential planning.
Jan Gehl [
Manual labor is very necessary for everyone. Work is not only the contribution for society and family, but also is the affirmation of his own value. Especially, when a person gets no busy and has much spare time suddenly, he will produce huge psychological gap. Appropriate manual labor can make up for the sense of loss, to find his place.
Old man does appropriate manual labor, arranges leisure time reasonably, will be beneficial health of body and mind.
To the public building, its main parts of facilities for the disabled including: building entrances, traffic system, obstacle-free marks, barrier-free parking, indoor barrier-free design etc. Barrier free facilities from building entry to indoor should maintain the consistency and integrity with correspondence. Making the action inconvenience to smooth arrival, enter into and using become easy [
If the public building to the barrier-free design is considered comprehensive, then, the residential design has some defective parts. As shown in
Roads within the residential group are mixed with person and cars, and outdoor space is also the most frequent place for the old group activities, as shown in
Old man lost himself frequently. This is closely bound up with rapid change of city construction, unclear identification of residential group. Kevin lynch [
It is easy to miss one’s way if he passes by from the same house façade or the same road landscape. The old man’s memory gradually tends to decrease, direction recognition ability also to drop. They often could not recall the house number of their storied building or dwelling. So, setting clearly marked, easy identification and guiding system is to guarantee the old man travel security. Its role is very important. Using different plant species, and modelling dress up community road landscape is one means to strengthen the directionality and resolution of residential road. As shown in
Le Corbusier [
Community outdoor space should be pleasant scale. It can give a person with kind and gentle feeling. People can obtain the sense of changing climate and can feel life and the nature of the energy also.
Node usually is the focus of the identification design. An old tree on the village head, a group of sculpture in the live area, all these are possess strong identification. As shown in
According to the old man’s activity ability and extent, the region of outdoor space generally should be limited in the block or village with in its interior. Don’t allow the vehicles pass through the region to ensure the safety for the old man. The border usually should be defined by roads and plants.
Wandering around and walking is the main behavior characteristic of many old people. For a walk corridor, including easy to use corridor and outdoor walk way, if it can form a continuous path, then the old man will be able to go on foot in security and with no needs be care for, either in interior or outside. As shown in
Older activity center often set chess, books and periodicals room etc. Outdoor collective activities are the main recreational activities of healthy old man, such as dancing and throw a punch, etc. It is not only can strengthen their health but also be able to produce more social activities.
Collective activity space requires more open and the hard ground, not to be disturbed and also do not disturb others. Sound insulation treatments and view obstacles can all be assumed by plants or structures, buildings. As
shown in
Pets enter families, go into the old man’s life, and also bring boundless joy to them. Companion animal can provide a special, multi-layered attachment to their host, the old man can also obtain the feeling of security, be concerned about, be needed and so on from it, therefore it can alleviate the pressure and the negative effects because of life changes.
The space as the shared activity area for old man and his pet should be also anti-interference, should be needed to limited area and boundary, especially to prevent young children go into to avoidable damage situations. Wide lawns, relatively quiet position is the place for the old man with his pet play together. As shown in
Local opened space can keep out sunshine, dodge rain, has good ventilation and permeability. All of this leads to adapt to the variety of outdoor climate. So it is a favorite outdoor activity place.
As shown in
Near the community or village, hewing out the appropriate space for manual labor will be a good choice. As shown in
“Doing to older, joy to older” is the highest state of old man. This needs the joint efforts of the family and community, needs to assume by physical space. The outdoor is the main site of activity for old man. Taking exercise, accompanying with others or pets, association and manual labor are the main content to outdoor space design.