About
This website offers seven learning modules that explore key principles, strategies, and actions for age- and dementia-inclusive neighbourhood design. The goal of this site is to equip planners and community members with the tools to design and advocate for neighbourhoods that support wellbeing for older adults, with an added focus on people living with dementia. People living with dementia have specific needs in navigating their neighbourhoods, which are often not captured by broader age-friendly design guidelines. These learning modules consider the needs of both older adults and people living with dementia, with clear strategies and actions that can support wellbeing for people of diverse ages, abilities, and life experiences.
The learning modules teach users to apply the evidence, strategies, and actions in the Age- and Dementia-inclusive Planning and Design Guidelines. The Guidelines were first published in 2023 by the DemSCAPE project, led by Dr. Habib Chaudhury at the Simon Fraser University Department of Gerontology, and Happy Cities, an urban planning and design firm. Happy Cities and DemSCAPE updated the document and published this second edition in 2025, with an expanded focus on age- and dementia-inclusive neighbourhoods. This training program is the first of its kind in Canada to offer a comprehensive set of evidence-based strategies and actions to improve the design of the neighbourhood built environment for older adults and people living with dementia.
Click here to download the Dementia-inclusive Planning and Design Guidelines
Click here to download the Implementation Guide
Planners who complete these modules can receive four Continuous Professional Learning (CPL) credits from the Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC).
The Guidelines were developed through extensive research and engagement with city planners and community members. This process included:
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A review of policy, grey literature, and peer-reviewed research
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Interviews with municipal planners
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A community forum to hear input from people with lived experience, care partners, community advocates, planners, and more
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Case studies of age- and dementia-inclusive initiatives
About DemSCAPE
The goal of the DemSCAPE project is to generate evidence-based knowledge, knowledge mobilization tools, and resources for informing policy and practice to create dementia-friendly communities. There is limited research in this area, reinforcing the importance of evidence-based neighbourhood design principles to support people living with dementia in maintaining independence and community connections for as long as possible. The goals of this project are to: A) identify common neighbourhood destinations and built environment features that affect mobility, engagement, and participation in the community for people living with dementia; and B) develop tools and resources including planning and design guidelines for dementia-inclusive neighbourhoods, an easy-to-use environmental audit and advocacy tool, and a short video highlighting the lived experience of mobility in the neighbourhood for people living with dementia.
Visit the DemSCAPE website
About Happy Cities
Happy Cities is an urban planning, design, and research firm that uses an evidence-based approach to create happier, healthier, more inclusive communities. We work with municipalities, housing providers, developers, and community organizations to create buildings, streets, urban spaces, and policy that maximize wellbeing for people of diverse ages, life experiences, and abilities.
Visit the Happy Cities website
The DemSCAPE project, including the Age- and Dementia-inclusive Planning and Design Guidelines and this website, are supported by funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Alzheimer Society of Canada, and Alzheimer Society of B.C. (ASBC).
Project Funders
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to the planners, community advocates, and people with lived experience who have contributed to the age- and dementia-inclusive Planning and Design Guidelines and offered feedback on a draft version of this website.