DESIGN4AGES
Developing and Testing a Structured Intergenerational Co-Design Methodology for Inclusive and Climate-Adaptive Urban Spaces in European Cities
- Call
- DUT Call 2025
- Duration
- –
- Project coordinator
- Associação ISCTE Conhecimento e Inovação - Centro de Valorização e Transferência de Tecnologias
Cities worldwide are increasingly adopting green and social infrastructure strategies to promote sustainability, resilience, and well-being. At the same time, demographic ageing poses significant challenges for urban environments in becoming more user-friendly, considering the diverse needs of different age groups. However, limited attention has been devoted to developing methodologies that effectively integrate diverse generations into participatory design. This gap is critical given the growing recognition that age-diverse perspectives are essential for creating truly inclusive urban environments that respond to the needs of all ages.
The DESIGN4AGES project aims to develop and test a Structured Intergenerational Co-Design Methodology (SICoD-M) for planning Intergenerational Contact Zones (ICZs) in European cities. The project addresses the current lack of systematic, empirically grounded methods for involving multiple generations in the collaborative design of inclusive and climate-adaptive public spaces. SICoD-M will be applied in both physical and virtual co-design settings to explore its feasibility, effectiveness in fostering intergenerational collaboration, and adaptability across cultural and urban contexts.
DESIGN4AGES generates significant value for multiple user communities, including public sector authorities, urban planners, civil society organisations, research institutions, and innovation actors. By developing a Structured Intergenerational Co-Design Methodology (SICoD-M), this project contributes to substantiating stakeholders’ praxis through the provision of a validated methodology tested within a relevant environment, offering an evidence-based framework to support the integration of intergenerational perspectives into urban design, thereby fostering inclusivity, resilience, and social cohesion in public spaces. The project generates significant and multidimensional impacts for diverse user communities, extending from local stakeholders to European and international policy-making bodies.
Belgium
Denmark
The Netherlands
Portugal
Spain
Universiteit Antwerpen, Universidad de Valladolid, Universiteit Twente, Aalborg Universitet, SCML
Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, Ayuntamiento de Serrada, Middelheimmuseum, Aalborg Kommune (to be included)
Contact
Sibila Marques, Leonardo Veronêz