The images below are taken from the reception and plenary sessions of the international Open Space : People Space 3 conference in Edinburgh (27-29 June 2011). All photographs ©Tricia Malley Ross Gillespie www.broaddaylightltd.co.uk.
News and Events
Rita Newton returns to Kilburn, tackling ‘stressful streets’ with local residents
February 2012
Following the success of the 2011 Kilburn Debates, I'DGO researcher, Rita Newton, has returned to the Kingsgate Resource Centre in north London for a follow-on workshop on improving the built environment. Once again jointly organised by the hosts, the British Society of Gerontology and the Kilburn Older Voices Exchange (KOVE), the event revisited the theme of tackling ‘stressful’ local streets through older residents’ evidence-led campaigning. As well as sharing progress from Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors, Rita introduced participants to new research project, Go Far, and heard - in return - about headway on campaigns for more seating in public spaces and accessible toilets. The trip was combined with meetings with I'DGO partner, Age UK, as well as councillors and officers from the London Borough of Camden.
Catharine Ward Thompson talks Age Friendly Places with local government
January 2012
I'DGO Director, Professor Catharine Ward Thompson, has presented current and recent research at an Age Friendly Places seminar in London. Organised by LGID, the improvement and innovation branch of the Local Government Association, the event was part of the Ageing Well seminar series, which supports UK councils to develop good places to grow old. Reporting on first phase findings and second phase progress on Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors, Catharine focused on the impact of the built environment on older people’s wellbeing and health. Other speakers addressing the audience of local authority members and officers included representatives from Age UK, Manchester City Council and Lewes District Seniors’ Forum.
For further information on the Ageing Well programme, please click here.
I'DGO cited as "significant source" in new governmental report on Lifetime Neighbourhoods
December 2011
Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors (I'DGO) is delighted to have been cited in Lifetime Neighbourhoods, a new publication from the UK Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). Described as "a very significant source of research and guidance", the project is referred to in detail in the chapters on Access (5) and Built and natural environments (7), most notably in the sections on ‘creating walkable environments’, ‘home zones and shared spaces’ and ‘greenspace’. Lifetime Neighbourhoods was commissioned by the DCLG to bring together examples from across the UK of ageing-in-place concepts taken forward in recent years and was researched by the Centre for Housing Policy at the University of York. As well as findings, guidance and progress from both phases of I'DGO, the report also cites earlier EPSRC-funded research by consortium member, WISE.
To read and download Lifetime Neighbourhoods, please click here
I'DGO talks tactile paving at Streets & Public Realm Network debate
December 2011
I'DGO Principal Investigator, Professor Marcus Ormerod, has shared recent progress on tactile paving research with a group of planning officers and design practitioners in London.
Organised by the training, advice and advocacy body, Urban Design London, the event was one in a regular series of ‘tricky issue’ debates held for its Streets & Public Realm Network. With a specific emphasis on blister tactile paving, panellists debated "what works, what doesn’t, and how best to take forward support for those with site impairments whist respecting Londons public environment". Experts responding to the questions included Professor Peter Barker OBE of the University of Reading, Sue Sharp of the Royal London Society for Blind People and Edmund Bird of English Heritage, one of I'DGO’s supporting network of 37 partners.
For further information on the Urban Design London event, please click here.
WISE research paper published in BMC Public Health
November 2011
I'DGO research carried out by the WISE (Wellbeing in Sustainable Environments) research unit has been published in BMC Public Health, an open access, peer-reviewed journal on the epidemiology of disease and all aspects of public health. Entitled ‘Good places for ageing in place’, and authored by Professor Elizabeth Burton, Dr Lynne Mitchell and Dr Chris Stride, the paper charts the ‘development of objective built environment measures for investigating links with older people’s wellbeing’. It describes how I'DGO researchers developed, piloted and refined a NeDeCC (Neighbourhood Design Characteristics Checklist) tool and, through interviews with 200 older people, identified and measured a range of place-related wellbeing constructs; ultimately identifying significant bivariate relationships between the two. The conclusion that it may be worthwhile to question some of the assumptions about where and how older people want to live led to the current I'DGO study ‘Go Gardens Matter?’
To read ‘Good places for ageing in place: development of objective built environment measures for investigating links with older people’s wellbeing’, please click here.
SURFACE researchers attend older people and sight loss workshop
November 2011
I'DGO team members from the SURFACE Inclusive Design Research Centre, Professor Marcus Ormerod and Rita Newton, have attended a workshop in Glasgow on the theme of keeping safe and maintaining independence for older people with sight loss. Co-hosted by the Thomas Pocklington Trust and the College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section for Older People, the event was held as part of a thriving programme of practical workshops run by the knowledge transfer group, KT-EQUAL, of which I'DGO is a core member. Delegates heard from a service user outlining ‘what I need and what helps’, as well as academic researchers, occupational therapists and not-for-profit organisations, including the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) and Vision 2020 UK. The event was also a chance to catch up with Dr Dawn Skelton, external advisor to Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors and partner in new research project, Going Outdoors: Falls, Ageing & Resilience (Go Far).
For the full programme of the KT-EQUAL event on older people and sight loss, please click here.
I'DGO research presented at global conference on ageing
November 2011
I'DGO Communicator, Máire Cox, has presented the project’s work at the first international CARDI conference in Dublin (Éire) on Ageing Globally - Ageing Locally. Themed ‘Planning All Our Futures’, the event was attended by 370 delegates from the world’s leading gerontological research centres and not-for-profit organisations, as well as health and social care providers and policy makers. Speaking in a session on Housing, Technology and Living Environments, chaired by Dr Brendan Murtagh of Queen’s University Belfast, Máire presented findings from the first phase of Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors, during which 200 older people were asked about their experiences of, and preference for, the design of streets and neighbourhoods. Máire also spoke at a symposium on translating evidence into policy and practice alongside KT-EQUAL colleagues, Professors Rachel McCrindle and Peter Lansley.
For further information about CARDI (Centre for Ageing Research and Development in Ireland), please click here.
I'DGO research cited in national guidance on shared space
October 2011
Findings from the first phase of Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors (I'DGO) have been cited in a new Local Transport Note by the UK Department for Transport. LTN 1/11, which can be freely downloaded from the DFT website, is a roads and road management tool for planners and highway engineers and deals specifically with ‘shared space’. The guidance aims to reduce the dominance of motorised vehicles in high street environments and prioritises the needs of pedestrians, placing particular emphasis on stakeholder engagement and inclusive design. I'DGO was consulted on the Note by invitation, influenced many of the points made and is cited directly in the guidance on seat design (Part 6; Detailed design).
To read and download the LTN on shared space from the UK Department for Transport website, please click here.
Marcus Ormerod briefs Scottish Occupational Therapists on sensory impairment and inclusive design
October 2011
I'DGO Principal Investigator, Professor Marcus Ormerod, has addressed the College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section on Housing (COTSS-Housing) as part of a study day for Scottish OT professionals. The event, entitled Sensing an Opportunity, was the ninth in a series of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) workshops for the group, who share an interest in the impact of housing on occupational therapy. The programme focused on the needs of service users with a sensory impairment and included a tour of the Forth Valley Sensory Centre, where the event took place. Marcus shared findings from the first phase of Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors (I'DGO), as well as progress from the second phase and new research project, Go Far.
For further information about the College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section on Housing (COTSS-Housing), please click here.
Catharine Ward Thompson presents at PACTS conference on transport and ageing
October 2011
I'DGO Principal Investigator, Professor Catharine Ward Thompson, has presented at a conference organised by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS). Entitled ‘Older, Wiser, Safer: the challenge of an Ageing Population’, the event took place at the Royal Society of Medicine in London and was opened by Baroness Greengross. Around 60 delegates attended the conference, which brought together local authority officers, transport planning professionals, researchers, standards agencies and not-for-profit organisations, each with an interest in the safe mobility of older people. Catharine’s talk was on Outdoor Environments for Older Citizens, drawing on current I'DGO research into pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods and her membership of the knowledge transfer group, KT-EQUAL.
To find out more about PACTS, please click here.
I'DGO showcased at Scottish Older People’s Assembly
October 2011
Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors (I'DGO) has been showcased at the Scottish Older People’s Assembly in Edinburgh. Publications, presentations and a short film about the project were presented at an exhibition stand manned by the project’s Communicator, Máire Cox. The Assembly, supported by the Scottish Government, was organised around issues of current concern to older people and featured keynote speeches by Nicola Sturgeon MSP (Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities) and Steve Webb MP (Minister of State for Pensions). For Máire, it was also a chance to catch up with a number of the older people who have been involved with I'DGO communications, including Joan Turner and Violet Laidlaw, both of whom spoke at the event.
For further information about the Scottish Older People’s Assembly, including event webcasts, please click here.
I'DGO on Towns and Cities for All
October 2011
Five I'DGO resources have been added to the online multimedia library of the Towns and Cities for All programme; a global Network for Excellence seeking an improved quality of life for people living in urban areas. The library currently hosts over 700 resources (in ten languages) on inclusive/universal design, from examples of good practice, to films, web-links, press articles and other documents. It is hosted by the Design for All Foundation based in Barcelona, which invites anyone interested in this area to upload material, including representatives from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. The I'DGO material currently downloadable from the library includes the trio of ‘mid-term’ publications detailing progress on the project’s current studies and the six minute film about the consortium, which premiered at Open Space : People Space 3 in June 2011.
To access the multimedia library on the Design for All Foundation website, please click here.
I'DGO PI addresses sixth international design research congress
October 2011
Professor Marcus Ormerod has presented at CIPED VI, the sixth international Congress of Design Research, in Lisbon, Portugal. Themed ‘An Agenda for Design,’ the event was organised by the Technical University of Lisbon’s Center for Research in Architecture, Urban Planning and Design (CIAUD).One of six guest speakers, Marcus presented on the subject of Inclusive Design and Social Sustainability, a relatively new area for the Congress, which has successfully diversified beyond Communication, Product and Fashion design to address Urbanity, Accessibility and Ergonomics. Lisbon was the first ever European venue for the three-day event, which previously took place in Brazil.
For further information about CIPED VI, please click here (toggle between English and Portuguese in top-left-hand corner of homepage).
I'DGO forges links with European research project on older road users
October 2011
By invitation, I'DGO researcher, Rita Newton has addressed a meeting of the pan-European SaMERU (Safer Mobility for Elderly Road Users) research project in Lancaster, UK. The project is led by Southend on Sea Borough Council, which has recently implemented recommendations from the first phase of Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors (I'DGO) on wayfinding in the town centre. It also involves Lancashire County Council, IFSTAR in France, The Technical University of Dresden in Germany and the local councils of Modena (Italy) and Burgos (Spain). Through the establishment of a sound evidence base, and a co-ordinated EU action plan, its aim is to help local authorities throughout Europe reduce the risk of collisions involving older people.
For further information about SaMERU, please click here.
I'DGO welcomes publication of Bishop Review
October 2011
Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors welcomes the publication of the Bishop Review on the Future of Design in the Built Environment. Published by The Design Council Cabe, a new body incorporating I'DGO partner, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, the Review addresses how good architectural, landscape and urban design can be achieved within a national agenda focused on the UK’s long term economic prosperity and the devolution of power to local communities. I'DGO particularly welcomes the suggestion that "Inclusive Design should be made an explicit requirement in the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) and included in the definition of sustainable development", as per the points made in the consortiums 2010, KT-EQUAL workshop, A Built Environment for All Ages. I'DGO researcher, Dr Lynne Mitchell, was one of over 400 people consulted on the Review, through an online questionnaire, roundtable discussions and workshops.
To learn more about the Bishop Review, and download the report in full, please click here.
I'DGO welcomes Angela Curl to the research team
September 2011
Angela Curl, a PhD candidate with a background in geography and transport planning, has joined the I'DGO research team as a Research Associate. Angela, who this month presents at the annual RGS-IBG International Conference in London, is currently completing her thesis on ‘Comparing the lived experience to objective measures of Accessibility’ at the University of Aberdeen. Based at the OPENspace research centre in Edinburgh, she joins the team working on pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods; exploring the longitudinal effects, on older people, of living in shared space streets. The project is in the final stages of data collection and analysis and, along with the two other current I'DGO studies, is due to report in April 2012, in celebration of the European Year for Active Ageing.
Marcus Ormerod addresses Nordic Network of researchers in inclusive design
September 2011
Professor Marcus Ormerod has spoken at a seminar in Copenhagen, Denmark, during a three-day study tour of the city with fellow I'DGO researcher, Rita Newton. Organised by the Nordic Network on Architectural Research in Design-for-all, the event looked at the interrelations between research and teaching in inclusive/universal design. One of three keynote speakers, Marcus touched on his experiences of both delivering components of The University of Salford’s Accessibility and Inclusive Design programme and being a Principal Investigator on projects such as Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors (I'DGO). The seminar, which comprised both plenary sessions and workshops, was sponsored by the Norwegian National Office of Building Technology and Administration and the Norwegian Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion.
I'DGO in media spotlight at British Science Festival
September 2011
I'DGO has enjoyed significant media interest at this year’s British Science Festival, where the team led an Engineering Outdoors workshop hosted by KT-EQUAL and briefed journalists at a press conference on older people’s issues. Researcher, Rita Newton, was interviewed on two primetime BBC radio shows - Beswick at Breakfast in Manchester and Newsdrive in Scotland - and participated in a three-way interview with Science Correspondent, Matt McGrath, and an older pedestrian, Mavis Crosley, for an audio feature on the main BBC website. The theme of the festival for I'DGO was the walkability of urban neighbourhoods, explored through a field trip and debate with Professors Marcus Ormerod and Catharine Ward Thompson. There was particular press interest in the impact of street clutter on older pedestrians and the relationship between pavement quality and falls.
To listen to the BBC audio feature, Street clutter enhances problems for elderly, please visit www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14902884
Rita Newton takes part in 40th annual British Society of Gerontology conference
July 2011
I'DGO researcher, Rita Newton, has participated in a number of events at the 40th annual conference of the British Society of Gerontology. Organised around the theme of Understanding and Promoting the Value of Older Age, the conference was held over three days at the University of Plymouth; hosted by its Faculty of Health. As well as presenting two papers, including one on the first phase of Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors (for which she was a Principal Investigator), Rita co-presented a workshop with the Director of the knowledge exchange group, KT-EQUAL. During the session she showed the new film on I'’DGO, which was made by Adam Barnett and Dominika Švecová and premiered in Edinburgh last month.
For further information about the BSG conference, please visit www.bsg2011plymouth.org.uk
I'DGO represented at inaugural Sustainable Intelligent Manufacturing conference in Lisbon
July 2011
Rita Newton, Principal Investigator on the first phase of Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors, has spoken at the first Sustainable Intelligent Manufacturing conference in Lisbon, Portugal. The three-day event was organised by the Centre for Rapid and Sustainable Product Development (CDRSP) and held at its host institution, the Polytechnic Institute of Leiria. Rita’s presentation formed part of a dedicated one-day symposium on Inclusive Design - Designing and Manufacturing for the Individual - which was co-convened by Professor Peter Lansley of the knowledge exchange group, KT-EQUAL. Drawing on research undertaken with 200 older participants during the first phase of I'DGO, Rita addressed the challenge of designing streets within a ‘real world’ environment, making them work for everyone - not just the fit and able pedestrian.
To find out more about SIM2011, please visit www.sim.ipleiria.pt
I'DGO cited by Age UK in Pride of Place campaign
June 2011
A new campaign by Age UK has cited research by Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors as a helpful resource for local authorities in its launch publication. The Pride of Place campaign is aimed at councillors throughout the UK; raising awareness of how they can improve neighbourhoods for older people through a three-fold commitment to listening, making change happen and keeping up momentum. I'DGO welcomes the emphasis in the launch publication on why getting outdoors matters to older people and the currency it places on ensuring that the quality of streets and neighbourhoods is upheld. We are also delighted to see specific mention of the need for providing safe and easy access to meeting places and green spaces and of the importance of enabling features, such as seating and public toilets, in streets and neighbourhoods.
To read and download the Pride of Place publication, please click here. To find out more about the Pride of Place campaign, please click here.
I'DGO hosts third international Open Space : People Space conference
June 2011
The third international Open Space : People Space conference on research into Inclusive Outdoor Environments for All has been held in Edinburgh. Marking the final stages of Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors, the event also celebrated the tenth anniversary of the OPENspace research centre, led by Professor Catharine Ward Thompson. All three I'DGO TOO Principal Investigators, plus first phase PI, Rita Newton, presented keynote papers at the event, which attracted 120 delegates from 20 countries. Highlights included keynotes by Marketta Kytt (Finland), David Rudlin (UK), Rob Methorst (The Netherlands) and William Sullivan (USA), as well as 64 presentations, four workshops and an exhibition of 50 posters.
To visit the Open Space : People Space 3 mini-site, and download a copy of the Proceedings, click here. To follow the conference on Twitter, click here.
I'DGO film launched at international conference on the inclusive design of outdoor environments
June 2011
A short film about Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors has been launched at the opening reception of the third international Open Space : People Space conference in Edinburgh. Made by film makers, Adam Barnett and Dominika Švecová, the film features ‘real world’ footage of older people outdoors in the cities of Edinburgh, Salford, London and Manchester. The narrative is woven around a conversation between the three I'DGO Principal Investigators and incorporates words of support from project partners Mark Butt (Mayer Brown), James Goodwin (Age UK), Rob Shaw (Health and Safety Laboratory) and David Sinclair (International Longevity Centre - UK), as well as international advisor to the project, Professor Gloria Gutman. In the week after Open Space : People Space 3, it was shown for three days on the Age UK exhibition stand at the 40th annual British Society of Gerontology conference in Plymouth, as well as at a KT-EQUAL workshop at the same event.
To watch the new I'DGO film on our website, click here. To watch and rate the film on Vimeo, click here
I'DGO Director addresses Canadian Age Friendly Communities meeting
June 2011
I'DGO Director and Principal Investigator, Professor Catharine Ward Thompson, has spoken at a Research Knowledge Development and Exchange meeting of the Age Friendly Communities (AFC) initiative in Canada. Led by the Public Health Agency of Canada, and involving the CIHR - Institute of Aging and the Canadian Association on Gerontology, the aims of the AFC programme are to ‘engage older Canadians in making their communities better, healthier and safer places for seniors to live and thrive’. Catharine’s particular contribution to the agenda was to present on translating research evidence into practice, drawing on her considerable successes in this area with Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors. The trip was also a chance to catch up with the scientists hosted in Edinburgh by I'DGO last year, specifically to hear about the collaborative Walk the Talk project, which focuses on ‘transforming the built environment to enhance mobility in seniors’.
To read and download the report from the Canadian Age Friendly Communities meeting, please click here. To find out more about Walk the Talk, please click here
I'DGO Director speaks at ‘age friendly cities’ workshop
June 2011
Professor Catharine Ward Thompson and colleagues from Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors have taken part in a workshop on the competitive advantage of age friendly cities. Hosted jointly by I'DGO and the BusinessLab research project, ActiveAge, the event was supported by the knowledge exchange group, KT-EQUAL, of which Professor Ward Thompson is a Co-investigator. Speaking after Gregor Rae, founding Chairman of BusinessLab, opened the event, Catharine touched on the challenges of implementing a built environment for all ages; a key aim of age friendly cities and regions. I'DGO also facilitated a break-out session at the event, ‘how age friendly research can be of practical value to the community’, drawing on the project’s significant impact on policy making and design guidance.
For further information about ‘The competitive advantage of age friendly cities’, please click here
I'DGO presents at Ageing and the Life Course workshop on outdoor spaces
June 2011
The Director of the I'DGO consortium, Professor Catharine Ward Thompson, has presented at a workshop on Health, Wellbeing, Quality of Life and Outdoor Spaces. The event was the third in a series organised by the Research Programme on Ageing and the Life Course led by the University of Bristol. It explored how access to, and activities in, ‘supportive’ outdoor environments could enhance the physical health, mental wellbeing and social integration of older people, leading to an improved quality of life. Joining Catharine were Professor Sian Maslin-Prothero of Keele University and Paul Millar and Professor Graham Parkhurst, both of the University of the West of England.
To find out more about the Research Programme on Ageing and the Life Course, please click here
Catharine Ward Thompson participates in MRAO Advisory Group meeting
June 2011
I'DGO Principal Investigator, Professor Catharine Ward Thompson, has participated in an Advisory Group meeting of a project focusing on a Multi-dimensional Risk Appraisal assessment system for Older people (MRAO). Funded by the Lifelong Health and Wellbeing programme, led by the Medical Research Council, the MRAO project aims to facilitate self-assessment by older people across health, social, environmental and financial domains and, as a result, to enhance localised, cross-sector service provision. Prof Ward Thompson is one of 18 members of the Advisory Group, which meets bi-annually to support researchers from University College London and the University of Hertfordshire. Their role is to help assess the feasibility and costs of locally adapting/embedding the MRAO system in two pilot sites: one in the London Borough of Ealing; and one in Hertfordshire.
I'DGO Director presents at annual EDRA conference in Chicago
May 2011
Professor Catharine Ward Thompson has presented four papers at the annual Environmental Design Research Association conference in Chicago. The four-day event brought together international researchers in behavior and design, all working towards an improved understanding of the relationships between people and their environments. As well as presenting progress on Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors (I'DGO), Catharine chaired a symposium on Open Space and Mental Health, involving researchers from the UK, Denmark and the USA. She also contributed to a session on Open Space and Social Health, looking in detail at the environmental features of streets and their association with social interaction.
For further information on the Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), please click here.
Catharine Ward Thompson completes invited tour of Icelandic open space programmes
May 2011
At the invitation of the Department of Architecture at the Iceland Academy of the Arts (IAA), I'DGO Director, Professor Catharine Ward Thompson, has addressed students, researchers, policy makers and the public at a number of events in Reykjavík. Having guest critiqued studio presentations on ‘architecture and nature’, an IAA programme run by Landscape Architect, Kristin Thorleifsdottir, Catharine met with the Directors of the Reykjavík Planning Department and the IAA to discuss the establishment of a new urban open space research unit. The visit continued with a public presentation by Catharine on her work at OPENspace and I'DGO and a contribution to a half-day conference on Sustainable Architecture and Planning at the Alvar Aalto building, Nordic House. While in Iceland, Catharine also spoke, via video link, at a conference in Wales hosted by Judith Phillips, Professor of Gerontology and Social Work at Swansea University.
Catharine Ward Thompson attends final conference of landmark EU research project
April 2011
I'DGO Principal Investigator, Professor Catharine Ward Thompson, has participated in the final conference of the AENEAS project: Attaining Energy-Efficient Mobility in an Ageing Society. Hosted by the European Union Committee of the Regions in Brussels, the event addressed the challenge of making urban mobility greener while improving the quality of life of older people. Featuring a panel discussion with members of the European Parliament and representatives of the European Commission, it was aimed at local, national and international policy makers - the key audiences for AENEAS research - as well as delegates from industry, academia and the not-for-profit sector. Catharine was delighted to catch up with members of the research team whom she first met while presenting at an AENEAS workshop in Donostia - San Sebastián in 2009; her presentation having subsequently been rated as the “best and most useful” in the project’s history.
For further information about AENEAS, please visit www.aeneas-project.eu
I'DGO team members in successful consortium bid to research falls, ageing and resilience
April 2011
A multi-disciplinary team of researchers, including I'DGO Principal Investigators, Professor Marcus Ormerod and Professor Catharine Ward Thompson, has been awarded a Medical Research Council (MRC) Strategic Grant to undertake a pilot study. Go Far (Going Outdoors: Falls, Ageing & Resilience) will be a year-long project linking into Lifelong Health and Wellbeing (LLHW): a major cross-council initiative supporting research into healthy ageing and wellbeing in later life. It will draw together the work of seven research centres, including SURFACE and OPENspace, building on existing findings from both phases of Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors, as well as other research projects. It will explore older people’s perceptions on - and experiences of - falling and develop innovative techniques to evaluate the relationship between the person who falls and the outdoor environment.
I'DGO Advisory Group meets to discuss national launch event
April 2011
Members of the I'DGO Advisory Group have met in London to discuss launching the findings from all three I'DGO TOO studies. Following presentations by senior researchers from the WISE, OPENspace and SURFACE teams, the group discussed how best to promote the evidence base to a diverse set of audiences, including policy makers, the media, professionals and service users. The meeting preceded a regular assembly of the Academic Management Group and involved an enthusiastic and proactive delegation including representatives of Age UK, the Department for Transport, Sustrans, Guide Dogs and new I'DGO partner, A Luck Associates (a road safety and highway risk management consultancy). It is anticipated that a national launch of I'DGO TOO findings will take place in early 2012, the European Year for Active Ageing.
Elizabeth Burton presents at invited Westminster symposium on ageing in urban areas
March 2011
I'DGO Principal Investigator, Professor Elizabeth Burton, has presented at an invited Anglo-Japanese symposium on growing older in urban environments. Speaking on the second morning of the two-day event in Westminster, London, Libby addressed the social and design issues involved in developing sustainable communities. Among the 60 delegates in attendance were fellow I'DGO PI, Professor Marcus Ormerod, and I'DGO Senior Research Fellow, Dr Lynne Mitchell. The event was designed to enhance knowledge exchange and networking between international researchers and urbanists and was jointly organised by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science and I'DGO partner, the International Longevity Centre (Tokyo/London).
For more information on this event, please visit www.ilcuk.org.uk/record.jsp?type=event&ID=77
Rita Newton addresses transportation professionals at major industry event
March 2011
At the request of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT), I'DGO team member, Rita Newton, has presented at Traffex: the UK’s largest industry event for the traffic management, parking and urban design communities. Speaking on the second morning of the three-day event in the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, Rita addressed delegates on the Design of Streets with Older People in Mind, drawing on the SURFACE element of Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors (I'DGO). The seminar built on earlier presentations by Rita and I'DGO colleagues in connection with launching Manual for Streets 2 to CIHT members in autumn 2011, as well as fellow seminar-sponsors, Department for Transport. In total, Traffex attracted over 9,000 visitors to the NEC, including delegates from the public and private sectors.
For further information about Traffex, please visit www.traffex.com
I'DGO hosts interactive session at ‘enablement’ knowledge exchange event
March 2011
Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors has hosted an interactive session at Enabling Health and Wellbeing in Later Life, a knowledge exchange event at the University of Stirling. Designed to showcase both innovative Scottish enablement programmes and recent research findings, the event attracted over 60 delegates from academia, Local Authorities and the NHS. Following a presentation by Dr Margaret Whoriskey on the Scottish Government’s 10 year framework, Reshaping Care for Older People, the group considered findings from a review of interventions in primary care or community settings, specifically those that prevent or delay disablement in older people. Speaking during the afternoon session, Máire Cox introduced two groups of delegates to the findings and design guidance from the first phase of I'DGO research and the aims and progress of I'DGO TOO.
I'DGO welcomes its international review panel to Edinburgh for three-day multi-disciplinary event
February 2011
Five members of I'DGO’s international review panel have come together in Edinburgh for a two-day review of research findings and a free public seminar. Respected worldwide for expertise in their fields, the group comprised Gloria Gutman (Canada; gerontology), James A Ashton-Miller (USA; biomechanics), Dawn Skelton (UK; healthcare), Brian R Little (UK/Canada; psychology) and Rob Methorst (The Netherlands; pedestrian needs). As well as discussing the findings from I'DGO’s three current research studies - collectively known as I'DGO TOO - the group considered the promotion and usage of the evidence; reflecting on its impact on policy makers, practitioners and older people themselves. The seminar on the third day of the visit was hosted by I'DGO on behalf of KT-EQUAL and included a ‘meet the experts’ round-table discussion for around 50 delegates.
For more information on the free public seminar, including a programme and speakers’ biographies, please visit
kt-equal.org.uk/calendar/57/28-An-international-perspective-on-the-Built-Environment-for-an-Ageing-Population-Issues-in-maintaining-access-to-outdoor-places
I'DGO talks street design with older London pedestrians
February 2011
Rita Newton has taken part in the first event of the 2011 Kilburn Debates programme; a series of interactive discussions between researchers, planners and older pedestrians in northwest London. Entitled ‘Caught Short on the Stressful Streets?’, the event was jointly organised by the British Society of Gerontology, the Kilburn Older Voices Exchange (KOVE) a