Can Landscape Design Counteract the Impact of Covid-19 on Loneliness Among the Elderly and Disabled?

Across the globe, loneliness is an on ongoing public health issue, with long-term loneliness believed to contribute to dementia, depression and early mortality (Campaign to End Loneliness, 2021). As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, loneliness has become a more pervasive issue. According to a study taken in November 2020, 1 in 4 adults had felt feelings of loneliness in the previous two weeks (Mental Health Foundation, 2021). This essay will explore how the Landscape Architecture profession can help to combat this.

 

COVID-19 has forced people to find new ways to socialise, leading to an increased use of technology for this purpose. However, a survey of 500 people over the age of 70, has found ‘28% of respondents aren’t confident using technology’ (Elder, 2021). Further research shows that 1 in 3 elderly people are lonelier in the wake of COVID-19’ (Elder, 2021). The gap in digital literacy among the over 70s is likely to make it more difficult for them to access online social platforms.

 

Public health advice around the COVID-19 pandemic encourages people to interact outdoors. This increased dependence on external spaces places more emphasis on the imperative for inclusivity. Inclusive design is defined as ‘the design of an environment so that it can be accessed and used by as many people as possible, regardless of age, gender and disability’ (Inclusive Design Hub, 2021). According to the charity Sense, 49% of non-disabled people feel they have nothing in common with disabled people, with 26% admitting they avoid conversation and interaction with a disabled person. The survey from Sense also shows that half of disabled people say that they are lonely (Sense, 2021).The charity emphasise the value of inclusive design to create opportunities for the disabled. For example, to increase their job opportunities and ability to socialise.

 

A study by an Oxford academic has observed a lower cumulative incidence of loneliness among people with greenspace within 1600m of their home, especially for people living alone (Astell-Burt, 2021). This suggests that better availability of inclusive greenspaces may positively impact loneliness among the elderly and disabled, counteracting the negative impact of Covid-19.

 

The Landscape Institute code of conduct recognises the benefit of inclusive design, stating that Landscape Architects have a duty ‘to design in a manner consistent with the principles of equality’ (Landscape Institute , 2020). It has also signed up to the six essential principles of Inclusive Design from the Construction Industry Council’s (CIC) Guide ‘Essential Principles for Built Environment Professionals’ (Landscape Institute, 2019).These principles emphasise the need to seek multiple opinions to solve issues of accessibility and inclusivity as well as striving to make inclusive design the norm rather than the exception. The Landscape Institute also encourages its members to design spaces to be safe and accessible.

 

Given the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on loneliness it is increasingly important to design greenspace with these principles in mind, ensuring more people can access outdoor spaces regularly. The responsibility for this lies with the Planning and Landscape professions, who must consider the needs of all groups in society, particularly those who struggle to be heard.

 

In conclusion, I believe that incidences of loneliness can be decreased if designers of public spaces treat the needs of those most affected by their environment with primary importance. It is also clear that introducing more greenspace into our urban settings would have a positive effect on loneliness among the community. It is fundamental to the wellbeing of numerous people that they have easy access to external spaces, and so providing these spaces can help ease the exclusion that many disabled and elderly people currently feel.

 

Bibliography

Astell-Burt, T., 2021. More green, less lonely? A longitudinal cohort study. International Journal of Epidemiology.

Campaign to End Loneliness, 2021. The facts on loneliness. [Online] 
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Elder, 2021. Survey on elderly loneliness. [Online] 
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Elder, 2021. Survey on elderly loneliness. [Online] 
Available at: https://www.elder.org/the-elder/survey-on-elderly-loneliness/
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Inclusive Design Hub, 2021. What is inclusive design. [Online] 
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Landscape Institute , 2020. New LI Code of Practice out for consultation. [Online] 
Available at: https://www.landscapeinstitute.org/news/july-2020-consultation-li-code-practice/
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Landscape Institute, 2019. Inclusive Design. [Online] 
Available at: https://www.landscapeinstitute.org/technical-resource/inclusive-design/
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Mental Health Foundation, 2021. Loneliness during coronavirus. [Online] 
Available at: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus/loneliness-during-coronavirus 
[Accessed 23 December 2021].

Sense, 2021. Loneliness. [Online] 
Available at: https://www.sense.org.uk/support-us/campaigns/loneliness/
[Accessed 23 December 2021].