A built environment that works for everyone: what does age-friendly look like in practice?

In your local area, are there aspects of the community buildings, green spaces, and other amenities that feel particularly well-considered and inclusive? Or on the other hand, are there inaccessible or impractical features, like uneven streets or poorly maintained public toilets that you’d like to see changed or upgraded? Chances are, whatever your age, what you’re thinking of points to age-friendly design. It’s something that most people in the planning and built environment sectors are aware of, but until recently hadn’t been brought together in up-to-date guidance that’s understandable and useable for all.

We recently commissioned Arup and Housing LIN to help us to fill this gap, publishing a series of seven Age-friendly Quick Guides to the Built Environment (opens new window). Covering streets, parks, public buildings, toilets, seating, bus stops, and signage, the guides include the top design considerations for each across a single page, as well as signposting to further guidance and legislation for those ready to take a deeper dive. Alongside the guides are a list of relevant government policies, implementation considerations, and case studies from age-friendly communities in the UK (opens new window).

The guides cover far more that I can do justice to in a blog, but here are a few reflections on what we’ve learned, including from older people themselves, in developing these guides:

Age-friendly design is people-friendly design

Age-friendly is a lens through which we can start to identify better ways of designing our environments that benefit everyone. It’s an expansion of the curb cut effect, which describes how disability-friendly features are used and appreciated by a larger group than the people they were designed for.

Involving older residents at an early stage is key

This point is so important that we’ve reiterated it in every quick guide. Actively engaging with a diverse range of local people gives unique insight on how to turn the guide’s design principles into changes that work for your community and the people who live in it. Walking, wheeling and access audits are a great way to do this, as are co-design techniques.

The social aspects of the environment are important as well as the physical

For many older people, physical accessibility adaptations are key. But through this project, we've learnt that they are alone are not enough to make our communities truly age-friendly and need to be complemented by other age-friendly approaches. When you arrive at a community centre are you greeted with a friendly face? Are the activities that happen in your local park of interest to all ages? Can bus stops be used for community information as well as timetables? All of these are simple changes that can make a huge difference to ensuring residents are able to access and enjoy everything their neighbourhood has to offer.

If you have any thoughts on the Quick Guides – or are able to share any ways you might use them in your place – don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at afc.network@ageing-better.org.uk.

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We’re delighted to welcome Centre for Ageing Better’s Charlotte Lewis, Head of Communities, and Arup’s Carly Dickson, Senior Access and Inclusive Environments Consultant, to our upcoming HAPPI Hour webinar, Designing for Everyone: Global Accessibility & Inclusive Design in Practice, taking place on Thursday, 28 May 2026, from 4:00–5:00pm.

During the session, they will present the age-friendly built environment quick guides and explore practical approaches to accessibility and inclusive design.