Vertical neighborhoods: a phenomenological study of aging in place in high density urban environments

Abstract This paper presents a cross-city phenomenology of elderly experiences in high-density vertical settings in Muscat, Dubai, and Mashhad. It suggests that current theoretical frameworks of aging in place, which have mainly been developed for suburban settings, do not fully grasp the unique psychosocial and spatial phenomena connected with high-rise aging in place. Therefore, a qualitative phenomenological methodology was used in this study, including participant observation, photovoice methods, and life-history interviews of 90 elderly residents of buildings containing at least 15 floors. Significant differences were noted between the three cities in question. For example, long elevator waits were found to be the main factor of isolation for residents of Dubai, whereas the existence of sky gardens and mandatory associations of residents allowed creating what the participants called "vertical communities," with most interviewed residents describing neighbors they could call on for help. The expatriate turnover in Muscat resulted in an experience of continuously building and breaking up community ties, although regularly organized events in the building were widely credited with easing self-perceived loneliness. In Mashhad, narrow corridors and elevators made the residents feel trapped, but ground-level religious centers helped them form a community. In all three cities, three key topics have been identified: elevators as transitional spaces connecting and separating people; lobbies as the thresholds between isolation and socialization; and balconies/rooftops as areas of conflicting needs of privacy and social interaction. Reports of loneliness were most prevalent among Mashhad participants and least prevalent among those in Dubai. Consequently, these accounts suggest that spatial isolation among elderly residents of high-rises might be eased by giving greater priority to accessible communal spaces and easily navigable buildings in urban policy, a direction that warrants further testing.