Age-Friendly Public Spaces in Residential Communities: A Systematic Review of Spatial Design Strategies

Population ageing has heightened the need to understand how public spaces within residential communities support older adults’ everyday outdoor activities. This systematic review synthesizes empirical evidence on spatial design strategies for age-friendly public spaces in residential communities. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a systematic literature search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science to identify relevant empirical studies, which were subsequently analyzed using a thematic synthesis approach. The review consolidates recurrent intervention types into a six-dimensional framework informed by environmental gerontology and international age-friendly principles, encompassing pathway design and connectivity, resting and sitting facilities, greenery and shade provision, lighting and safety features, wayfinding and signage, and interaction and activity spaces. The findings show a strong emphasis on pathway design and resting facilities, shaped by their role as foundational environmental supports in dense residential environments and by region-specific policy and climatic conditions. Evidence gaps include limited standardization, insufficient cost-effectiveness information, and under representation of low-density or climatically distinct settings. The review clarifies how age-friendly spatial design functions within residential community public spaces and provides a structured basis for future research and community-level micro-renewal practice.