Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors (I’DGO) was a ten-year project exploring if, and in what way, the ability to get out and about impacts on older people’s quality of life and what barriers there are to achieving this day-to-day. We established a strong evidence base that getting outdoors matters.

We have put together a number of resources to help stakeholders advocate equity of access to the outdoor environment and to enable policy makers to be better informed. Together with design guidance and detailed presentation of our findings, our toolkit comprises:

I’DGO publications

I’DGO presentations

Literature Review

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I’DGO publications

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I’DGO presentations

This section is organised into events I’DGO has hosted and those co-ordinated by external bodies.

I’DGO TOO findings launch – Thursday 26th April 2012.

The findings from I’DGO TOO, the second phase of Inclusive Design for Getting Outdoors, were launched in Europe House, home of the European Commission and European Parliament in the UK, on Thursday 26th April 2012. In celebration of the European Year for Active Ageing, the event was addressed by Baroness Greengross, crossbench member of the House of Lords and Chief Executive of the International Longevity Centre – UK, who described the research as “phenomenally exciting” for the development of places where “we can bloom as people from when we are very young to very old”.

The presentation (below) was given by the Director of the I’DGO consortium, Prof Catharine Ward Thompson, during the morning session of the launch event. An edited version was then delivered at the presentation of the findings in the Northern Ireland Assembly (Stormont, Belfast, 11th May); Scottish Parliament (Holyrood, Edinburgh, 16th May) and Welsh Government (The Senedd, Cardiff, 23rd May), at events held jointly with the knowledge exchange consortium, KT-EQUAL. In addition, it was reprised at Ending Isolation Through Design, a workshop for older people held jointly with Age Scotland and Planning Aid for Scotland in Edinburgh, just prior to our parliamentary reception.

A Built Environment for All Ages – Friday 19th March 2010.

I’DGO hosted this multi-disciplinary workshop on behalf of KT-EQUAL, the flagship knowledge transfer programme for research into older people. The event was held in Edinburgh College of Art and attended by 40 delegates.

A Built Environment for All Ages sought to identify how ‘joined up thinking’ amongst those who shape outdoor environments can create truly inclusive places, from local neighbourhoods to entire cities. With key speakers from Scottish local and national government, leading academics and advocates for older people, its focus was on making connections between policy, research and practice.

The opening address was given by Robin Harper MSP, Convenor of the Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on Architecture and the Built Environment and Treasurer of the Cross-Party Group on Older People, Age and Ageing. The platform was then given over to three I’DGO team members, who presented on the theme of New Insights into Current Research.

The remainder of the morning session focused on representatives from industry, local government and the non-profit sector whose work with and for older people is evidence-based in approach.

Dr John Zeisel, President and Co-founder of Hearthstone Alzheimer Care (USA) and Visiting Professor to the School of the Built Environment, University of Salford. With a background in sociology and architecture, John’s research and practice over two decades has resulted in award-winning design and planning guidebooks and prototype facilities, as well as numerous books and articles.

Glenda Watt, Strategy Manager for A City for All Ages-Edinburgh’s Joint Plan for Older People. On behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council, Glenda works with partners in NHS Lothian and the voluntary and commercial sectors to improve opportunities and services for older people in Edinburgh. Her 18-slide presentation entitled Edinburgh – A City for All Ages? Successes and Challenges is available to download here (pdf download), 1.12MB.

Helena Scott, Head of Policy and Research for Age Scotland. Helen has specialised in ageing policy and research for 20 years, working primarily for Age Concern Scotland and, independently, for two key European networks: Ageing and Ethnicity; and Changing Attitudes to Ageing. Her 10-slide presentation entitled Old Themes: New Issues is available to download here (pdf download), 339KB.

The KT-EQUAL monograph on a Built Environment for All Ages is available to download here (pdf download), 154KB.

Manual for Streets 2, London, Birmingham, Durham & Cardiff, September-October, 2010

I’DGO TOO Project progress – 10th June 2008

Work Package 1: Older people and the urban renaissance (WISE) 10th June 2008

PDF presentation 1 [open Adobe PDF document, 552KB]

PDF presentation 2 [open Adobe PDF document, 396KB]

Work Package 2: Home Zones and older people’s QoL (OPENspace) 10th June 2008

PDF presentation [open Adobe PDF document, 966KB]

Work Package 3: Tactile paving design, siting and laying (SURFACE) 10th June 2008

PDF presentation [open Adobe PDF document, 1.89MB]

An Introduction to the I’DGO Consortium, launch of project findings on the I’DGO website, and launch of the I’DGO TOO project: 21st June 2007

Professor Catharine Ward Thompson, OPENspace, Edinburgh College of Art
[open Adobe PDF document, 1.8MB]

Professor Elizabeth Burton, OISD: WISE, Oxford Brookes University, [open Adobe PDF document, 442KB]

Professor Marcus Ormerod, SURFACE, University of Salford. [open Adobe PDF document, 1.5MB]

Introduction to the EPSRC Extending Quality of Life (EQUAL) Programme Catherine Coates, Director of Planning and Communication, EPSRC. [open Adobe PDF document, 40KB]

Introductory Address
Mike Lake, Director General, Help the Aged. [open Adobe PDF document, 23KB]

WHO Active Ageing in Age-Friendly Environments: A Global Agenda Dr Louise Plouffe, World Health Organisation, Senior Technical Officer, Ageing and Life Course Programme.
[open Adobe PDF document, 853KB]

SPARC: Building capacity for ageing and disability-related research Peter Lansley, Director SPARC. [open Adobe PDF document, 233KB]

Annual Meeting of the Environmental Design Research Association, Sacramento, CA, 30th May- 3rd June, 2007

Presentation entitled “What attributes do older people prefer in accessing their local open space? A choice-based conjoint analysis approach” addressed the results of the conjoint-based questionnaire. [open Adobe PDF document, 1.07MB]

Physical Activity and Health Alliance Conference, Edinburgh, UK, 31st of October, 2006

Presentation entitled “Neighbourhood Environments, Physical Activity and Health for Older People: What Have we Learned from the I’DGO Project?” focused on the main findings of the I’DGO project. [open Adobe PDF document, 1.6MB]

EPSRC/BBSRC SPARC (Strategic Promotion of Aging Research Capacity)
Network workshop, Strathclyde University, 16th March 2005

Introduction to the SPARC (Strategic Promotion of Aging Research Capacity) Network Workshop PowerPoint presentation, entitled ‘Inclusive Design for the Challenges of Going Outdoors’: The I’DGO project’s aims and methodology, together with some early results from OPENspace’s work on the project, were presented by Catharine Ward Thompson, OPENspace, at the EPSRC/BBSRC SPARC (incorporating EQUAL) Research Network workshop on the theme of “Integrating Research on Ageing: bridging the gap between biology, engineering, design and older people”, at Strathclyde University on 16th March 2005. [open Adobe PDF document, 1.3MB]

6th Symposium of the International Urban Planning and Environment Association, Kentucky, USA, 4th-8th September 2004

Introduction to the IUPEA Symposium PowerPoint presentation: The preliminary findings from the literature review and focus groups on quality of life criteria for older people in relation to urban form were presented by Lynne Mitchell, OISD, at the 6th Symposium of the International Urban Planning and Environment Association held in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, 4th-8th September 2004. [open Adobe PDF document, 125KB]

EPSRC EQUAL Research Network workshop, Cardiff University, 5th July 2004

Introduction to the EQUAL Research Network Workshop Cardiff PowerPoint presentation: The I’DGO project’s aims and methodology were presented by Lynne Mitchell, OISD, at the EPSRC EQUAL Research Network workshop,”Independence and quality of life for older and disabled people”, at Cardiff University on 5th July 2004. [open Adobe PDF document, 104KB]