Started: 2022
Thesis title: Improving urban open spaces for elderly people with mobility issues to increase inclusivity
Supervisor: Carmela Cucuzzella
Fateme Roozi, who goes by the name Shadi, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Architectural engineering and is currently studying a master of design at Concordia University. She has always been curious about sustainability, inclusive design, and the factors that contribute to creating fair and interactive spaces for all members of society. Shadi believes that sustainable design and inclusive design can greatly impact people’s quality of life, and that it is an opportunity to directly serve society.
The problem first came to her mind when Shadi realized the challenges her mother, who has knee arthritis, faced in public spaces, particularly while using stairs. She uses various methodologies such as observation, storytelling, and interviews, along with a literature review, to find problems that elderly people face in open urban spaces. In terms of inclusiveness in urban spaces, mobility for users is of the utmost importance. Her research focuses on elderly people due to their main issues with mobility and aging, and aims to include elderly individuals in the design process to improve their experience in cities by identifying and addressing blind spots in urban designs.