Abstract

SILVA, Eduardo Alexandre Ribeiro da  and  ELALI, Gleice Azambuja. The role of public squares in the active aging from the point of view of the experts. Pesqui. prát. psicossociais [online]. 2015, vol.10, n.2, pp. 382-396. ISSN 1809-8908.

Studies that investigate the human behavior in open spaces emphasize that outdoor living promotes physical and mental well-being, reflecting positively on the health and on the quality of life, especially of the elderly, due to the variety of stimuli and socialization opportunities offered by these environments. In order to investigate the role of public squares in active aging, and panel of experts was formed, in which seven professionals who work with the elderly in the city of Natal/RN were interviewed. The script of the interview involved themes linked to active aging, socialization, and environmental support. The answers were treated by means of content analysis and they indicated that experts consider that the public squares can be suitable places with great potential to promote active aging, since they have the necessary elements to support the older people's permanence there.

Keywords : Elderly; Environmental Psychology; social interaction; public squares; built environment.

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