Creating Inclusive Neighbourhoods for People Living with Dementia

Over 750,000 Canadians are living with dementia today. Most of these people don’t live in congregate care settings, but at home. Dr. Samantha Biglieri (Assistant Professor, School of Urban and Regional Planning) looks at neighbourhoods to understand how they help and/or hinder the mobility, social activity and overall living of people living with dementia (PLWD). How does built form and design impact those grappling with memory loss, confusion in navigating, and issues with judgement and communication? In a society with an ageing population, and more and more people wishing to age in place, these are huge questions to answer.

In this talk, Dr. Biglieri will discuss her research into PLWD in suburban spaces and how they interact, navigate and care for themselves and others in their neighbourhoods. She will also talk about using care as a way of understanding everyday lived experiences and changing how planners think about PLWD. She will also touch on ongoing research with PLWD during the COVID-19 pandemic and working with multi-scalar interdisciplinary teams to build dementia-inclusive neighbourhoods.