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HOUSING AND URBAN IMPROVEMENT SUITABLE FOR A REMOVE OF THE ELDERLY IN URBAN INNER AREA

summary

We are now confronted an unprecedented situation of, the rapidly aging society with fewer children. Meanwhile, the national and local governments promote the measures for remove to urban inner area, and it is expected that the number of the elderly movers in urban inner area will increase gradually.

However, the previous studies indicated that the change in living arrangement became the source of stress and it might cause adverse affects such as emotional instability, stay-at-home, and depressive state in adjusting to a new environment.

For this reason, it is important that the mental health of the elderly should be taken into account in housing and urban improvement in order to avoid the negative effects.

The Policy Research Institute for Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (PRI) launched a two-year research program in FY2006 and FY2007 to gain the data and a better understanding on optimal housing and urban improvement for the elderly living in the urban inner area.

The program includes survey items of the mental health of the elderly and their satisfaction of housing environment and urban facilities after relocation.

The study, moreover, conducted a survey of the relationship between mental health and urban environment.

It is found that the elderly, who relocated to urban inner area during two years, indicated a high level of satisfaction with housing condition, safety of the town, and the convenience of urban facilities.

However, the elderly movers showed a low level of satisfaction with the community interaction.

The mental health of the elderly has a high correlation with these degrees of satisfaction with housing condition, and circumstances around the house.

And the results of analyses indicated the mental health of the elderly movers in business area was better than that of the elderly movers in residential area.

In addition, it is suggested that the support for the formation of communities as well as the improvement of the urban facilities is important.

Key words

Compact city, elderly people, town residence, relocation, well-being

issue

Reports No.79/2008 Jun.

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