DOI: 10.4324/9781003144441-7
This chap e has been made a ailable unde a CC-BY license.
In oduc ion
In his well-known Gulli e ’s T a els, Jona han Swi said ha e e y man desi es
o li e long, bu no man wishes o age. Howe e , ge ing olde is s ill he only way
we ha e ound o li e long, as s a ed by Sain e-Beu e (Descha anne & Ta oillo ,
2007).
Longe i y can be unde s ood as he pe iod by which a li ing being manages o
su i e longe han o he indi iduals o he same species. Pascal B uckne (2019)
main ains ha he possibili y o ex ending li e is one o humani y’s mos ex ao -
dina y collec i e achie emen s. I is he mos palpable e lec ion o he ad ances
achie ed in he heal h ield. Longe i y in human beings is a mi o o he success
o he igh agains some in ec ious diseases, mo ali y esul ing om childhood ill-
nesses, and childbi h complica ions, o hose ela ed o mo e ad anced age g oups.
Hence, heal h has become an issue o social conce n h ough ageing.
Ex ended li e p olongs age bu no you h. Ageing is a biological p ocess by
which li ing beings become old, which in ol es a se ies o s uc u al and unc-
ional changes ha appea o e ime and a e no he esul o diseases o acciden s.
In ecen decades, old age has ended o be s igma ised, as i implies he de e io a-
ion o he body. The y anny o you h is, pa excellence, he u opia o an unhappily
old socie y. Howe e , un il ecen ly, in many socie ies, old age was a synonym o
wisdom. Wha age eaches us is he meaning and impo ance o nuances, lea ning
o dis inguish wha is i ial om wha is undamen al, o ins ance, lo e, beau y,
poe y, a , and so on. The e o e, old age is no a synonym o esigna ion (B uck-
ne , 2019).
Today, he gap be ween he biological li e o people and he age o wo k and
social e i emen is inc easing. This ci cums ance p o ides an oppo uni y o
e hink how o li e and how o plan o he impo an pe iod in human exis ence
ha is en ailed by ageing, which can span 20 o 30 yea s. In his ligh , old age
becomes a p ecious esou ce. An olde adul needs o con inue o be eage in his o
he desi e o enjoy he wo ld and o unde ake new goals. B uckne (2019) a gues
ha in he hi d and ou h ages, one mus pe sis in being, lo ing, wo king, and
lea ning wi hou e e abdica ing o age. This idea means ha old age should be
as ac i e and heal hy as possible. Howe e , he cu en social s uc u es a e based
5 Ageing and ambien assis ed li ing
New landscapes o dwelling
San iago Quesada-Ga cía
102 Ageing and U ban Planning
on he li e expec ancies ha we e common a e Wo ld Wa II, when 50 was he
h eshold o wha was conside ed he beginning o old age. Cu en ly, men and
women o e 50 a e in a simila condi ion o hose o e 30.
On he o he hand, ou socie y is imme sed in a silen digi al e olu ion based
on communica ion, which is changing he manne o social in e ac ion, pa icipa-
ion, esiden ial solu ions, and e en ci y models (Applebaum, 2021). Today, i is
unnecessa y o go ou o he s ee o shop, wo k o deba e a poli ical issue; i can
be done online (Eche a ía, 1999). The cu en socie y is unde going a apid ans-
o ma ion in he way in which people ansmi and ecei e in o ma ion. I is a new
communica ion e olu ion ha is ha ing signi ican consequences. In o ma ion
and communica ion echnologies (ICTs) ha e eme ged as he applica ion o sci-
en i ic knowledge o p ac ical pu poses and ha e acqui ed pa icula impo ance.
In his con ex , he no ion o Ambien o Ac i e Assis ed Li ing (AAL) appea s in
domes ic spaces o in oduce echnology-based se ices and assis ance ha enable
olde people o ha e a heal hie , sa e , and mo e com o able li e in hei home
en i onmen o as long as possible.
Ageing in he ci ies o he ou h digi al decade
Acco ding o he epo on he ageing o he wo ld’s popula ion by he Popula ion
Di ision o he Depa men o Economic and Social A ai s o he Uni ed Na ions
(UN, 2019), in 2050, one in i e people will be olde han 60. The numbe in his
age b acke will each 2.1 billion, exceeding he numbe o you hs be ween 15 and
24 yea s old. In addi ion, almos 80% o olde adul s in he whole wo ld belong o
de eloping coun ies, hus indica ing ha agedness is no exclusi e o Fi s Wo ld
coun ies bu a he is a gene al phenomenon (UN, 2019).
The accele a ed hy hm o ageing o he wo ld’s popula ion will impac he
demand o goods and se ices, as well as social p o ec ion, heal h, housing, edu-
ca ion, anspo a ion, in o ma ion, and communica ions. I will also in luence he
wo k and inancial ma ke s, amily s uc u es, in e gene a ional ela ionships, and,
undoub edly, he de elopmen o mul i-le el go e nance. Such a gene al impac
will c ea e a need o policies and signi ican u ban ans o ma ions since, by he
middle o he 21s cen u y, 70% o he wo ld’s popula ion will li e in ci ies, and
his popula ion will be subs an ially aged, as indica ed abo e.
By 2070, one in h ee Eu opeans will be olde han 65 (Eu opean Commis-
sion, 2021). The ac i e- o-inac i e popula ion a io will each one ac i e o ou
inac i e pe sons; his p opo ion is cu en ly one o wo. Wi h his assessmen , in
ecen yea s, he Eu opean Commission has de eloped a line o ac ion ha com-
bines he unce ain y o he cos o old age due o disease, dependency, and o he
ac o s wi h he app ecia ion o he added alue ha olde people b ing wi h hei
knowledge, expe ience, and so on. The EU4Heal h P og amme o he Eu opean
Union (EU) 2021–2027 unde lines ha , o adequa ely ace old age and achie e he
bes well-being in Eu opean socie ies, he sys ems mus inco po a e policies ha
p omo e heal h and p e en illness in o de o dec ease he impac on he economy,
assis ance, and social de elopmen (Figu e 5.1).
Ageing and ambien assis ed li ing 103
Thus, he g owing pa adigm o heal hy ageing a ises based on de eloping and
main aining unc ional, physical, and cogni i e capaci ies in a way ha enables he
well-being o people du ing hei ageing p ocess. This is achie ed i hey can pe -
o m, ully and au onomously, he Ins umen al Ac i i ies o Daily Li ing (IADL)
(G a , 2008) while ul illing hei needs and i al aspi a ions. People’s unc ional,
physical, and cogni i e skills a e in luenced by bo h physiological and psychologi-
cal changes and by aspec s ela ed o heal h o he p esence o absence o illness.
These capaci ies a e de e mined by wo ac o s ha in e ac wi h one ano he . The
i s is he in insic acul y o each pe son, ha is, he combina ion o hei physical
and men al skills. The second is he physical en i onmen and social ambiance in
which hey li e (P oulx e al., 2016).
Physical spaces and en i onmen s, as well as he echnology in eg a ed wi hin
hem, can be planned and designed o adap o people’s a i udes and capaci ies.
One o he mos impo an ac ions o p omo e heal hy old age is, he e o e, he
planning o adap ed and adap able en i onmen s. I is necessa y o build a habi a –
bo h indi idual and collec i e – ha p omo es he maximum quali y o li e o e
Figu e 5.1 T ends in heal hca e and hei impac on a heal hie a chi ec u e.
Sou ce: P epa ed by he au ho , adap ed om a design by Hyojung Kim and Ba celona Global Design
in Lleó e al. (2015).
104 Ageing and U ban Planning
he cou se o he cons an e olu ion o human needs h oughou childhood, you h,
ma u i y and, especially, in he con ex o ageing (Robinson & Pallasmaa, 2015).
This means hinking abou a chi ec u e and he ci ies o he u u e wi h a iew o
mee ing he indi idual and social demands gene a ed by his g owing demog aphic
end and gi ing p io i y o essen ial aspec s o olde adul s such as expe ience
and memo y, accessibili y and adap a ion, unc ionali y and di e si y, in eg a ion
and social in e ac ion, as well as he meaning and use o habi able spaces and
en i onmen s. These in angible alues mus be added o he g owing echnological
in luence caused by he g adual and uns oppable digi al ans o ma ion ha has
su ounded con empo a y socie y o e he las h ee decades and is s ill a om
comple e (Quesada-Ga cía e al., 2023b).
This ans o ma ion is a new kind o e olu ion – dizzying and silen – ha is
leading o changing a i udes in ega d o he ways in which people and en i on-
men s in e ac , habi s o li ing, and he p oduc ion o a de ini e change o men ali y
in he cu en socie y (Eche a ía, 1999). E e y day, people a e mo e in ensely and
p oac i ely seeking o demanding cons an imp o emen s o hei quali y o li e by
means o e icien en i onmen al, heal h, and in elligen solu ions ha mus be as
sus ainable, a o dable, and in eg al as possible.
The digi al e olu ion inco po a es inno a i e o ms o communica ion ha p o-
mo e new me hods o in e ac ion h ough mobile de ices, cell phones, ele ision,
and he in e ne , and en ail a adical mu a ion in he ela ionships be ween people
and be ween people and domes ic objec s. The common elemen in he majo i y o
e e yday de ices is hei echnological essence. They a e de ices ha a e capable
o ga he ing and p ocessing da a, which, hanks o he possibili y o communica -
ing wi h each o he , makes hem in elligen . This new in e ac ion is cha ac e ised
by h ee ac o s: a ubiqui ous expe ience in high de ini ion; he connec ion o elec-
onic and home appliance de ices wi h a ange o se ices; and in e ac i e com-
munica ion be ween compu e s, elephones, able s, o isual and ouch ecogni ion
de ices (Quesada-Ga cía & Pulido, 2012). Technology has become ano he com-
ponen in he landscape o e e yday li e.
The ca alys o his digi al e olu ion has been he in e ne , which is a decen-
alised se o in e connec ed communica ion ne wo ks ha enable and build a
luid in o ma ion ansmission ne wo k. The concep o he in e ne o hings (IoT),
coined by Ke in Ash on, i s appea ed in 1999 a he Massachuse s Ins i u e o
Technology (MIT) Au o-ID Cen e (Ash on, 2009). The IoT is a ne wo k o physi-
cal objec s wi h embedded echnology, such as senso s o so wa e, capable o
communica ing and in e ac ing wi h each o he o he ex e nal en i onmen . In a
home, hey a e ypically household appliances o echnical i ems, including de ices
(such as he mos a s, home secu i y came as, sys ems, ligh ing ix u es, e c.) ha
suppo one o se e al ecosys ems and ha can be con olled h ough de ices such
as sma phones o speake s.
The connec i i y o hese p oduc s allows hem o ha e some capabili ies ha
a e ex e nal o he physical de ice i sel . These include he collec ion o da a ha
can be analysed o in o m decision-making, enable ope a ional e iciency, and
con inually imp o e p oduc pe o mance. When hese objec s can change hei
Ageing and ambien assis ed li ing 105
esponses based on he da a in o ma ion and hei own expe ience, hey a e called
“sma objec s” o “sma connec ed hings” (SCoT). A sma objec is no only a
connec ed elemen bu a p oduc wi h e ec i e in e connec ed managemen ha
imp o es i s in e ac ion wi h o he objec s and wi h people. I can be c ea ed as a
manu ac u ed p oduc o by embedding elec onic chips o senso s in non-sma
physical objec s. SCoTs a e ac i e p oduc s in eg a ed by so wa e and senso s,
and hey a e connec i i y ha pe mi s da a o be exchanged be ween he p oduc ,
make , ope a o /use , and o he sys ems.
In buildings, he concep o IoT echnology is applied o p oduc s used wi hin a
“Sma Home.” This ype o home is made up o in elligen componen s, which a e
combined and ep oducible in s anda dised models; sma objec s ha a e designed
o assis , in eal- ime, he domes ic en i onmen h ough he syne ge ic in e ac ion
o au oma ion sys ems and echnologies, ma e ials, and inno a i e p ocesses. To
achie e ha goal, an inhabi ed place mus ha e a se o elemen s o subsys ems ha
a e in e connec ed wi h each o he h ough mu ual ela ions, wi h open, secu e, and
highly eliable so wa e ha ac s as a whole acco ding o gene al, p e-es ablished
ules.
The esponse p o ided o he indi idual and collec i e needs o people by
hese assis ed en i onmen s p og essi ely ans o ms in o demands o e ec-
i e, sus ainable, and a o dable se ices, bo h o he open ma ke and ci ies.
As such, an osmo ic and pe meable p ocess is gene a ed be ween he o e o
se ices and he implemen a ion o echnologies o enjoy hem, in which he
mic o – he in ima e home space – en iches he mac o – he u ban space – and
ice e sa. Tha is, he e is an in e ac ion be ween he domes ic scale o he
Sma House, he in e media e scale o he Sma Building, and he cons uc ion
o a ci y ha mus become inc easingly mo e in elligen each day (Mazzio a &
Jenkins, 2016). The Sma Ci y appea s as a new u ban model ha is open in i s
de ini ion; in i , he ci y is unde s ood no as a physical, closed, and geog aphi-
cally de ined elemen bu as a ne wo k o a se ies o o e lapping laye s o g ids
which in e ac in o de o imp o e hei unc ioning and e iciency. The basic
laye o a Sma Ci y is he en i onmen , on which o he ne wo ks a e supe -
imposed, consis ing o he ollowing g ids, laye s, o sys ems: (a) in o ma ion
analysis and managemen ; (b) wa e supply and pu i ica ion; (c) was e and p o-
duc i e managemen ; (d) ene gy gene a ion and supply; and (e) u ban mobili y
(Quesada-Ga cía & Pulido, 2012).
Each one o hese g ids co esponds o an u ban sys em ha , in u n, con-
sis s o a mul i ude o in e wo en nodes (Figu e 5.2). These sys ems, which a e
equipped wi h senso s, communica e h ough a ne wo k ha allows in o ma-
ion managemen and decision-making. The pu pose o his ne wo k o ganisa-
ion – mul i-scale o ac al – is o acili a e he e icien esponse in eal ime o
he cons an low o social demands. The Sma Ci y is a ne wo k o ne wo ks
ha changes, mu a es, and is in cons an mo emen . Based on he pe sis en
needs o socie y, i also adap s, inco po a es new laye s, modi ies exis ing ones,
builds new ne wo ks, and c ea es unsuspec ed landscapes (Quesada-Ga cía &
Pulido, 2012).
106 Ageing and U ban Planning
Figu e 5.2 Sma G ids, laye s, o ne wo ks ha make up he Sma Ci y.
Sou ce: P epa ed by he au ho .
In a ew yea s, he se ices necessa y o sa is y he demands and needs o he
inc easingly ageing popula ion will cons i u e a new laye o he Sma Ci y ha
mus be designed and planned.
Ambien and ac i e assis ed li ing: eme gence o a new concep
The applica ion o new echnological pa adigms and means o managemen o he
ield o heal hca e and olde adul s s emmed om he concep o ambien in elli-
gence (AmI) a he end o he 1990s. The concep o AmI was o iginally de eloped
by Eli Zelkha and B ian Eps ein and hei eam a Palo Al o Ven u es (Zelkha &
Eps ein, 1998) and was p esen ed a he Digi al Li ing Room con e ence, o gan-
ised by Philips, and de eloped du ing he ollowing decade (Figu e 5.3).
AmI e e s o he use o in elligen assis ance sys ems, embodied and in eg a ed
in di e en habi able en i onmen s, which c ea e an omnip esen echnological
laye capable o anspa en in e ac ion wi h he inhabi an , obse a ion, and in e -
p e a ion o hei ac ions and in en ions. The objec s can p oac i ely in e ac wi h
people whe e hey a e needed and a e sensi i e o bo h he use and he con ex
(si ua ional, spa ial, empo al). The communica ion be ween he sys em and use
Ageing and ambien assis ed li ing 107
Figu e 5.3 A imeline o key e en s and publica ions on AmI.
Sou ce: P epa ed by he au ho .
108 Ageing and U ban Planning
akes place in such a way ha he de ice can ac in isibly wi h he pe son and
display a p oac i e beha iou by which i akes ac ion in ad ance o a u u e si u-
a ion a he han eac ing. These assis ance sys ems a e designed o ake con ol o
a si ua ion and make ea ly changes, a he han adjus ing o a si ua ion o wai ing
o some hing o happen.
The AmI app oach implies ha echnology is designed by and o people
a he han expec ing he use s o adap o he echnology, as has ended o be he
case up un il now (Losco e al., 2017). This is he main di e ence be ween IoT
and AmI. AmI aces i s applica ion wi h a holis ic iew ocused on he pe son.
The concep o holis ic ( om he G eek holos, meaning whole o in eg al) e e s
o he no ion ha he whole is no he sum o he pa s, no can i be explained
by analysing how i s sepa a e componen s unc ion; a he , i is impe a i e o do
so in eg ally, con empla ing he eali y o i s complexi y. A holis ic pe spec i e
implies o e coming he p ejudice o he incapable indi idual and eplacing i
wi h he no ion o he eal pe son (Mace, 1998). The solu ions o AmI aim o
ul il se en o he ounda ional p inciples o Uni e sal Design – Design o All in
Eu ope – (Connell e al., 1997). This is a p ocess o designing p oduc s (de ices,
en i onmen s, sys ems, and p ocesses) ha can be used by people wi h he b oad-
es ange o skills in he wides ange o si ua ions (en i onmen s, condi ions, and
ci cums ances).
Also, AmI is no limi ed o a s aigh o wa d and unique and connec ed ela ion-
ship be ween objec s o be ween he p oduc and use bu a he ex ends o all o he
componen s o he mul idimensional space (ambien ) su ounding he inhabi an –
he loo , walls, ceiling, pa hs, spaces, clo hes, and so on (Koolhaas, 2014). The
ambien begins o be “in elligen ” when i does no need o be calcula ed o p o-
g amed. The en i onmen can lea n he p e e ences o he inhabi an , cons an ly
adap ing he pa ame e s o he sys em and, he e o e, imp o ing he inhabi an ’s
com o , well-being, and quali y o li e (Aa s e al., 2001). AmI o e s a new pa a-
digm in which people can use echnology h ough an en i onmen ha is awa e o
he con ex and in which he echnology is adap i e, esponsi e, accep able, and
use ul o hei needs, habi s, ges u es, and emo ions.
To achie e i s objec i e, AmI i s ies o iden i y he cha ac e is ics o he con-
ex o each inhabi an a e ecognising he speci ic ools used and he ac i i ies
hey pe o med by his pe son. Wi h his da a, he ac i i y is b oken down in o
se e al componen s, le els, and suble els ha a e ecomposed cohe en ly in an
adequa e design capable o suppo ing a ce ain li es yle. I is a me hod eminiscen
o ha p esen ed in 1936 wi hin he con ex o a chi ec onic s anda disa ion by he
Ge man a chi ec E ns Neu e in his well-known book Bauen wu sleh e (edi ion
in English: A chi ec s’ Da a) (Figu e 5.4).
AmI can con ibu e o echnological ad ances in he human habi a wi h pa -
icula e e ence o se ices o people wi h speci ic needs and who may equi e
speci ic solu ions and, he e o e, a e a se e al deg ees in ela ion o echnology
(Figu e 5.5). Since i s in oduc ion, AmI has become pa o he co e s a egies o
many o he wo ld’s leading echnology companies, such as Google, Amazon, and
Mic oso .
Ageing and ambien assis ed li ing 115
he complexi y g ea ly inc eases when se e al echnologies mus be combined.
In a ma ke con olled by companies wi h pa en ed p oduc s – a ma ke in which
co po a ions aspi e o be dominan p o ide s – echnological ba ie s a e c ea ed
by he de ices’ in e ope abili y (W ede, 2012). In con as , i is wo h men ioning
he home p oduc s a ailable om la ge companies, such as Secu i as Di ec o
Konica, and, mos impo an ly, om he GAFA (Google, Apple, Facebook, Ama-
zon) mul ina ional elecommunica ion companies. These companies ha e man-
aged o in oduce pe sonal assis an s, such as Alexa and Google Home, in o he
popula ion in a highly e ec i e manne . In he nea u u e, oge he wi h ele i-
sions and cell phones, hese assis an s will be he doo way o he se ices hese
i ms will o e o olde use s. The capilla i y ha he GAFA has achie ed in he
ma ke con as s wi h he sca ce implemen a ion o he p oduc s a ising om he
EU’s AAL P og amme.
The AAL P og amme was ini ia ed wi h he pu pose o c ea ing a echnological
business issue in he Eu opean en i onmen ha would be capable o p oduc-
ing ICT p oduc s and se ices aimed a imp o ing he quali y o li e o olde
adul s. Howe e , echnological inno a ion is necessa y ye insu icien o a space
o mee he i al needs o i s use s. De eloping such spaces in ol es c ea ing
en i onmen s and su oundings whe e human beings can eel ul illed wi h com-
ple e awa eness, au onomy, and eedom. A house is no a machine o li ing, as
Le Co busie said, bu a home o be inhabi ed ha is able o p omo e pe sonal
ul ilmen .
People’s quali y o li e also depends on in angible ac o s and alues ha do
no depend on echnology. The iden i y, cha ac e , and quali y o he physical en i-
onmen a e in ima ely ela ed o he i al social and cul u al expe ience o each
indi idual. In o he wo ds, he cul u al and symbolic componen s o spaces ha e
a special impac on people’s emo ional and cogni i e s abili y. I an olde pe son
can inhabi a pe sonal space and p ese e a sense o belonging o a place wi h
au onomy, he o she will ha e a be e quali y o li e. In he design o space, esi-
dences and homes o old people ha succeed in c ea ing a sense o belonging o an
en i onmen a e e y impo an because each indi idual’s his o y, memo ies, and
expe iences a e in e wo en wi h he spaces in which hey eside and he spaces in
which hey ha e li ed.
Ano he , and pe haps he g ea es , ba ie o he comple e implemen a ion o
AAL is he ans o ma ion o Ambien Assis ed Li ing syn agma om he denomi-
na ion o an EU esea ch and unding p og amme in o a concep ual pa adigm o
in e en ion in domes ic and u ban spaces beyond he one-way se ice-use ela-
ionship by means o a echnological p oduc o se ice. Unde his new pa adigm,
he e m ex ends o he mul iple dimensions su ounding people, including hei
cogni i e and knowledge aspec s, such ha he in e ac ions a e no only ins umen-
al bu , mo e impo an ly, meaning ul (Figu e 5.7).
The no ion o AAL needs o be upda ed, bu abo e all, i equi es a de ini ion
o he en i onmen o su oundings in which people li e, as well as he implica-
ions o he o me o he la e . The heo isa ion and concep ualisa ion o AAL
a e needed no only in e ms o echnological assis ance and se ices bu also
116 Ageing and U ban Planning
in conside ing all o he inhe en aspec s o inhabi ed space. In u n, he mean-
ing o a new spa ial design pa adigm mus be explo ed: wha i consis s o and
how i may espond o he changing needs o a g owing and cons an ly e ol ing
ageing popula ion. The lack o an a icula ed heo y on wha AAL means, as
well as i s impac on he a chi ec u e and planning o ci ies, is a majo limi a-
ion ha p e en s i om being implemen ed in a sus ainable, consis en , and
ongoing way.
Meaning ul AAL: an open conclusion
Despi e he ba ie s ( echnological, ins i u ional, economic, social, and heo e i-
cal) o he applica ion o AAL, a chi ec s, u banis s, and enginee s ha e begun
o ou line a new way o unde s anding and designing en i onmen s o be inhab-
i ed – in he mid-and long- e m – by popula ions ha change, e ol e, and age.
In due cou se, AAL will be implemen ed because o he e iciency, com o , and
well-being i en ails.
The e olu ion o he no ion o assis ed li ing in he nex en yea s will come
abou h ough signi ican ad ances in cloud-based se ice echnologies and s and-
a d se ice pla o ms, he de elopmen o he IoT, and e- ade po als ha will
p omo e new business models ha will se e o pe mea e his s a um o he olde
popula ion. Se ices based on a web en i onmen e-cloud will open a new way
o inco po a ing each use ’s expe ience in co-c ea ing con en . AAL will se e o
imp o e he se ices o he p o ide s, who, in u n, will espond o he speci ic
demands o he use s. This should also help public adminis a ions be e plan hei
se ices o quickly adap o changing social needs.
Figu e 5.7 Meaning ul AAL.
Sou ce: P epa ed by he au ho and adap ed om a design by He nández Pe domo and Iseco Sis emas
in Lleó e al. (2015).
Ageing and ambien assis ed li ing 117
Wi h he co ec AAL implemen a ion, home use s will be able o es ablish pe -
sonalised solu ions acco ding o hei needs, desi es, and economic esou ces, as
hey would wi h deco a ing and equipping hei homes. Howe e , o his o occu ,
echnological pla o ms a e needed based on he s anda ds ha suppo he in e -
ope abili y be ween he di e en manu ac u ing and p o ide se ices dis ibu ed
in he ne wo k. These pla o ms s ill ha e a long way o go in o de o each his
echnological s anda d. Fou echnological equi emen s mus also gene ally be
me (Fló ez, 2008):
• Na u al in e aces: In e ac ion sys ems be ween people and compu e s mus be
in ui i e o use, sensi i e o he con ex , and mul i-modal, ha is, mul i-use ,
mul ilingual, mul ichannel, and mul ipu pose. They mus be based on he mos
common me hods o human in e ac ion, such as oice and ges u es. The mos
pa adigma ic example is he Nin endo Wii, which e olu ionised he console
wo ld due o he ac ha i has a mo e na u al command han o he games. As a
esul , i enables g ea e imme sion despi e i s na a i e g aphics and despi e he
ac ha i s quali y is lowe han ha o he compe i ion.
• Dynamic ne wo ks o massi ely dis ibu ed de ices: Fo mul iple de ices o
wo k oge he e icien ly, hey mus communica e h ough ei he wi ed o wi e-
less ne wo ks. These ne wo ks mus be able o adjus and econ igu e hem-
sel es based on de ices’ p esence, absence, o e o s. An example o his is
when someone a els o a new coun y and hei de ice au oma ically connec s
o he ne wo k, allowing hem o make calls and use o he unc ions wi hou
needing o econ igu e hei de ice manually.
• Com o able ha dwa e is he in eg a ion o de ices wi h p ocessing capaci y in
e e yday objec s, such as ehicles, u ni u e, clo hing, oys, home appliances,
e c., ha a e no annoying o use and ha a e anspa en . One o he basic
lines o wo k is wea able compu ing, which is de eloped in accesso ies such
as wa ches, cell phones, and clo hing. These de ices ha e senso s ha measu e
i al signs and send da a o ala ms i necessa y.
• Secu i y and eliabili y: he en i e echnological laye o in e communica ed and
omnip esen de ices mus be secu ed agains indisc imina e use. Fo his, obus
sys ems mus ha e buil -in in o ma ion enc yp ion me hods and au hen ica ion
mechanisms ha use, o example, biome y-based echniques ( inge p in s, i is,
oice, e c.).
The in elligen en i onmen mus be capable o main aining, ex ending, o adap -
ing o he e olu ion and changing needs o ageing people in such a way as o
ensu e ha hey ha e heal hie , sa e , and mo e com o able li es wi h mo e pe -
sonal au onomy and ha hey main ain i al con ac wi h hei cul u al and social
en i onmen s o as long as possible. Howe e , as men ioned abo e a he end o
he p e ious sec ion, AAL as a pa adigm o concep o design mus no be limi ed
o p o iding echnology-based se ices. The eason o his is ha al hough ech-
nology is a ca aly ic ool o some o he ma e ial challenges ha socie y aces, i is
insu icien in and by i sel o espond o human needs.
118 Ageing and U ban Planning
The ela ionship be ween echnological inno a ion and social o cul u al e e -
ences places he a chi ec u al p ojec a he cen e o he sea ch o solu ions ha
syn hesise needs, beha iou s, and in e ac ions be ween he en i onmen , echnol-
ogy, and people. A chi ec u al design ac s as a s imulus o a b oad sea ch o solu-
ions ha a e no jus he esul o sol ing one echnical p oblem. A chi ec u e, as
bo h an a and a echnique, builds he daily scene o he habi a and gi es meaning
o he places and spaces ha people inhabi . Th ough he meaning ha a chi ec u e
gi es o spaces and en i onmen s, human beings can ela e o he alues ha an-
scend hem as indi iduals and connec hem wi h hei i al, social, and cul u al
eali ies (Quesada-Ga cía & Vale o-Flo es, 2017).
Taking hese conside a ions in o accoun , wi h he p og ess o AAL, i will be
possible o build assis ed en i onmen s ha can in elligen ly and emo ionally in e -
ac wi h he use s o hose spaces as an exo-b ain o a leas enable hem o build
hei own exo-b ain. A chi ec u e, as a echnique, will in eg a e in elligen assis-
ance sys ems in o buildings embedded wi hin en i onmen s in such a way ha hey
may in e ac in isibly and p oac i ely wi h he occupan s (Figu es 5.8 and 5.9).
Figu e 5.8 Design o ooms o an Alzheime ’s disease pa ien .
Sou ce: “Labo a o io Tema ico: Ma ghe i a Bolgiani, Alessand o Radice, Jessica Rosino” wo kshop
di ec ed by S. Quesada-Ga cía a Poli ecnico di Milano (2019).
Ageing and ambien assis ed li ing 119
This will enable he c ea ion o assis ed spaces ha p omo e a heal hie , sa e , and
mo e com o able li e – one in which each pe son adequa ely manages and con-
ols his o he e e yday physical eali y wi h mo e pe sonal au onomy. Howe e ,
a chi ec u e goes beyond a me e echnique o he applica ion o echnological sys-
ems. A chi ec u e, as a wo- housand-yea -old a , also builds spaces wi h com-
posi ional and o mal esou ces ha p o ide hem wi h a meaning ha anscends
hei in ended unc ion. This makes he space comp ehensible, and he occupan
may ind a na a i e, a symbolic alue, and a sense o belonging. A chi ec u e
econs uc s connec ions wi h highly codi ied and symbolic cul u al ci cui s in such
a way ha he habi a , in addi ion o being a e uge and an aid, is, as Roge Ba a
says (2014), a cogni i e p os hesis o he human being.
The challenge ha AAL p esen s as a new pa adigm o dwelling consis s o
knowing how o design spaces ha can beha e as a kind o collec i e and indi id-
ual exo-b ain – one ha is capable o adap ing o he g adual demands and needs
ela ed o he e olu ion o he ways o li e associa ed wi h he inc easing longe i y
o he popula ion. This challenge also ex ends o o he scales o use, which ange
om he collec i e spaces o buildings and acili ies o he public spaces o ci ies.
In he nea u u e, ci ies will ha e he capaci y o manage, sha e, and ans e
da a and in o ma ion o acili a e go e nance decisions in eal ime. The con i -
ma ion o his new ci y-ne wo k model p o ides a glimpse in o he solu ions in
esponse o he olde popula ion’s needs, which will play a p ima y and pa icula ly
Figu e 5.9 House o six olde adul s.
Sou ce: “Labo a o io Tema ico: Ma ghe i a Bolgiani, Alessand o Radice, Jessica Rosino” wo kshop
di ec ed by S. Quesada-Ga cía a Poli ecnico di Milano (2019).
120 Ageing and U ban Planning
de e minan ole in ci y planning. Fu u e in elligen ci ies will add laye s o g ids
dedica ed o heal hy ageing o hei con igu a ion laye s o g ids. These ci ies will
consis o adap ed and adap able housing, as well as acili ies and se ices ha can
be used by a popula ion ha will cons an ly e ol e and demand new esiden ial
solu ions.
Fu u e u ban models should con inue o be de eloped wi h g ea ca e being
aken in ega d o he inclusion, in he ci y planning and housing design, o deci-
sions ha , unde he appa en objec i i y and neu ali y associa ed wi h echno-
logical solu ions, a e close o O wellian con ol han o he scope o eewill
coope a ion: he polis.
Acknowledgemen s
This wo k has been possible hanks o he esul s ob ained in an R&D&I esea ch
p ojec and unding ob ained om g an PID2020-115790RB-I00 unded by
MICIU/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033.
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