AB128. Urban renewal strategies in an aging society: cross-sectoral integration of architectural design and community-based healthcare

Background: Taiwan is projected to become a super-aged society by 2025, with over 20% of its population aged 65 years and above. This demographic shift poses significant challenges to urban infrastructure, spatial planning, and health service delivery. Using Taipei City as a case study, this research explores how urban renewal can serve as a platform for integrating architectural innovation with community-based healthcare, aiming to create resilient, age-friendly urban environments. The study proposes a transition from conventional land redevelopment toward a more inclusive and health-oriented urban renewal model. Five key design strategies are identified: (I) smart green buildings for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability; (II) health-promoting architecture that enhances indoor environmental quality; (III) pandemic-resilient infrastructure with infection control features; (IV) universal design for accessibility and age inclusiveness; and (V) embedded smart medical devices to support remote health monitoring and emergency care. On the healthcare side, the research advocates for localized service models, including community-based rehabilitation centers, neighborhood family clinics, and integrated referral systems between primary and tertiary care. These approaches aim to enhance care accessibility, continuity, and responsiveness, particularly for older adults seeking to age in place.

Methods: This study employs a qualitative research design combining policy analysis, case studies, and cross-disciplinary expert interviews. It analyzes Taiwan’s Long-Term Care 2.0 and 3.0 policy frameworks and compares them with international ageing guidelines to clarify institutional and spatial implications. Three senior housing and community care facilities—Chang Gung Senior Village, Shin Kong Senior Housing, and New Taipei Silver Future City—are examined to assess real-world implementation. In addition, semi-structured interviews with ten experts from healthcare, architecture, urban renewal, and home care provide practical insights and support triangulation of policy intentions and on-site experiences.

Results: The research findings reveal that urban renewal holds substantial potential as a health promotion mechanism in ageing societies. By incorporating age-friendly spatial design, community-based healthcare, and long-term care services, urban renewal can evolve from a purely physical redevelopment instrument into a comprehensive platform for preventive health intervention. The study identifies five core design principles for aging housing: universal design, reversible design, pandemic-resilient buildings, smart technologies, and integrated community healthcare. However, evaluation of the current system shows that floor area ratio incentive schemes—despite offering bonuses of up to 170% for accessibility, green building features, and public facility contributions—remain heavily focused on hardware-based subsidies. Incentives for software services and cross-domain integration are insufficient, limiting the effective introduction of community health centers and day care services. Expert interviews strongly support the adoption of reversible design, family doctor systems, fall warning technologies, and walk-in bathtubs, while calling for institutional innovations such as an all-age universal housing label and a dedicated health-oriented urban renewal framework to embed health promotion into redevelopment policy.

Conclusions: The integration of built environment design and healthcare delivery within urban renewal not only addresses the needs of an aging population but also improves cities’ overall public health preparedness. The study concludes with policy recommendations for institutionalizing health-integrated urban renewal practices, and highlights the necessity of cross-sector collaboration among urban planners, public health professionals, medical providers, and local governments. This research contributes to global discussions on healthy cities and sustainable aging by providing a replicable model that bridges the gap between spatial planning and healthcare systems in the context of demographic transition and public health risk.

Keywords: Aging society; health-oriented design; public health integration; universal design; urban renewal