Designing Cities for Memory: Rethinking Urban Spaces for Ageing and Alzheimer’s Care
For years, I've dedicated my work to envisioning more humane and inclusive cities, yet the question of urban transformation took on a personal resonance during my aunt’s recent visit to London. Witnessing her daily struggle—not just with the demanding pace of the city, but with the invisible weight of her memory’s decline—was both eye-opening and heartbreaking. Each task, from navigating the bustling streets to recalling simple routines, became a quiet battle, chipping away at her sense of independence and dignity.
In that moment, the ideas I once explored academically felt less like abstract theories and more like urgent necessities. Having missed the MIPIM challengers’ deadline, I might have lost one platform to share these thoughts, but their significance only grows as I reflect on what urbanisation should mean for families and individuals in later life—especially in cities like London, where high costs and fragmented support systems often leave ageing populations in the margins.
So, what if we could design cities that didn’t just accommodate later-life care but made it central to urban living? For single households, divorced families, and only children, this vision could transform not only how we care for ageing relatives but how we care for our communities and ourselves. This idea continues to permeate my thoughts, stirring a desire to contribute something lasting and positive to the world. And even though it might seem self-indulgent, I believe exploring this question matters deeply: how do we create a future where care, compassion, and community converge to support those navigating the complexities of ageing?
"I want to go home"—a heartbreaking plea from many Alzheimer’s patients, often uttered at sunset, expressing disorientation and a yearning for familiarity. My grandfather echoed this cry, repeatedly calling our home to ask for a return to a place that existed only in his memories. We, as a family, would pass the phone around, telling stories to distract him, knowing he would forget them moments later. It was frustrating because he was physically home, but in his mind, he sought a home from his past.
This deeply personal experience fuelled my exploration of how architecture can better support those with Alzheimer’s. The conflation of time, memory, and space inspired me to examine how design might help patients maintain a sense of autonomy and well-being, even as their cognitive functions decline. From this, a disruptive idea emerged: the creation of memory-supportive, intergenerational living hubs. These hubs, integrated into urban environments, would address both the immediate needs of Alzheimer’s patients and broader urban challenges like social fragmentation and the ageing population.
Urbanisation has historically neglected the needs of the elderly, particularly those living with dementia. Senior living and care homes are often isolated from the rest of the community, exacerbating loneliness and cognitive decline. In the UK, over 944,000 people currently live with dementia, a number expected to reach 1.6 million by 2040. Yet, urban planning continues to treat ageing and dementia as specialised, isolated issues, rather than integral to the urban fabric.
The disruptive idea I propose is to integrate memory-supportive housing for Alzheimer’s patients within multi-generational urban communities. These living hubs would not only provide specialised care environments for seniors but also include spaces for younger generations, creating opportunities for interaction, support, and inclusivity. This model would challenge the status quo of segregating the elderly, instead creating vibrant, intergenerational neighbourhoods where people of all ages could benefit from social connections and mutual support.
Drawing from my cultural background as a Chinese immigrant, where intergenerational support is a core value, I see the potential for architecture to bridge the gap between Alzheimer’s care and community living. My thesis project, set in Hong Kong, proposed a new typology of domestic architecture designed around the daily, ritualistic activities of bathing, eating, and sleeping. These activities, shared between caregivers and patients, are the backbone of Alzheimer’s care, and thoughtful design can enhance these interactions while supporting memory retention through sensory engagement.
By designing memory-supportive spaces with calming environments, visual cues, and accessible layouts, patients can experience moments of autonomy and dignity. For instance, familiar routines, emphasised through architecture, could help ground patients in their immediate environment, reducing anxiety and disorientation. Importantly, these hubs would be embedded within urban communities, allowing Alzheimer’s patients to remain connected to the life of the city, rather than being isolated in care facilities.
As cities worldwide grapple with ageing populations, integrating Alzheimer’s care into urban environments can reduce isolation, improve patient well-being, and foster more resilient, intergenerational communities. This model offers a way to make cities more inclusive and age-friendly while addressing public health challenges. Memory-supportive, intergenerational living hubs could significantly improve urbanisation by transforming how cities approach ageing and dementia care, allowing patients to maintain a connection with their community.
Through additional studies in gerontology and inclusive design—such as Fundamentals of Gerontology (University of Southern California) and An Introduction to Accessible and Inclusive Design (University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign)—I have continued to deepen my understanding of how architecture can support ageing populations. This project represents a disruptive shift in urban design, focusing on the potential to create environments that enhance the quality of life for Alzheimer’s patients while fostering stronger intergenerational bonds. This overlooked concept could reshape urbanisation, creating more inclusive and supportive cities for the future.
