Affordances of urban housing estate mini-park towards physical and social activities of senior citizens at Taman Midah, Cheras

Abstract

By 2044, Malaysia will have been leaning towards an “aged society” with 14 percent of the population above 65 years of age. As such, it is increasingly important that public parks accommodate recreation activity for senior citizens, offering various passive and energetic outdoor activities. The physical element in public parks should complement the performance of certain activities. The seating area in an open environment is one of the physical features that must exist, accommodate and be a catalyst for another activity. A human can conduct an activity in several ways through possibilities provided by the environment, which is explained by the affordance hypothesis. Taman Bermain Taman Midah, a mini-park located in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur provides facilities to allow for outdoor activities. The study will include a literature analysis as well as observation of visitors to determine how they used the space at the mini-park and how it may provide both passive and active enjoyment to senior citizens.