Yuanming Xing
Rural Aging Landscapes in New Zealand and China: Political and Policy Frameworks Shaping Public Space in Multicultural Contexts
Rural aging has become a global issue. As young and middle-aged laborers continue migrating to cities, the demographic structure in rural areas has undergone significant changes, with the proportion of elderly populations steadily increasing. New Zealand and China exhibit certain similarities in the level of rural aging and future development trends. However, due to differences in policy systems and cultural contexts, the approaches adopted by rural regions in both countries to address aging issues—particularly in the composition and spatial forms of public spaces—show marked distinctions.
The study adopts an architectural and spatial perspective, focusing on the composition and usage patterns of public spaces within the context of rural aging. By integrating policy frameworks and institutional environments, it conducts a comparative analysis of rural areas in New Zealand and China. By analyzing the spatial organization, morphological characteristics, and support mechanisms for the daily lives of the elderly population in public spaces across different political and cultural contexts, this study aims to reveal how institutional factors translate into concrete spatial responses. It further seeks to provide landscape architectural insights for the design and renewal of public spaces within the context of rural aging.
Awards and Achievements
Supervisors
Dr Bruno Marques & Jacqueline McIntosh