Developing a Physical Environment Assessment Tool for Age-Friendly Neighborhood Parks in High-Density Cities: Evidence from Taichung, Taiwan

Rapid population aging is increasing demand for supportive everyday outdoor environments. In high-density Asian cities, neighborhood parks are among the most accessible public spaces for older adults, yet many were not designed according to explicit age-friendly criteria beyond barrier-free compliance. This study develops and validates a practical physical-environment assessment tool to support age friendly park evaluation and retrofitting. A mixed-methods design was adopted. Indicators were synthesized from environmental gerontology and age-friendly city guidance and organized into physiological, psychological, and social dimensions. Field audits and non-participant behavioral observations were conducted in five neighborhood parks in Taichung City, Taiwan, and audit records were cross-referenced with observed activity and stay behaviors. Recurrent gaps limiting older adults' use included uneven paving, insufficient shaded seating, inadequate armrests and back support, and low legibility of wayfinding information. Older adults clustered in areas offering thermal relief, stable walking surfaces, and sociopetal seating, while parks with more continuous circulation supported longer stays. The checklist operationalizes multidimensional aging needs into measurable microscale criteria, shifting evaluation from pass/fail accessibility toward usability- and behavior-informed auditing. It enables prioritized micro-retrofits and evidence-informed governance for super-aged, high-density cities.