Anne Machian (Headshot: Courtesy of RDG Planning & Design)
As senior living communities evolve to meet the needs of an aging population, the role outdoor environments play in supporting residents’ well-being has become increasingly clear. Thoughtful landscape architecture extends beyond aesthetics, shaping spaces that enhance mental and physical health, promote social interaction, and provide a sense of autonomy.
Central to this approach is biophilic design, which acknowledges the innate human need for connection with nature. Research consistently shows that exposure to natural settings can improve mood and enhance mental clarity, benefits that are especially vital for older adults.
Whether through accessible walking paths, serene gardens, or inviting communal spaces, well-planned landscapes can create a strong sense of place and identity. Even for those who may not easily step outside, access to nature remains essential.
Designing with nature in mind means prioritizing outdoor views from residences and shared spaces, ensuring that all residents, regardless of mobility, can experience the benefits of nature.
By designing senior living communities as restorative environments, landscape architects can create outdoor spaces that foster mental, physical, and social well-being. This article explores three ways thoughtful site design can transform outdoor spaces into essential components of a thriving senior living community.
#1: Supporting autonomy and social connection
Outdoor environments play a vital role in fostering both autonomy and social engagement in senior living communities. A well-designed landscape gives residents the freedom to interact with their surroundings in ways that align with their personal preferences, whether through independent exploration or meaningful social connections.
Research shows that walkable communities contribute to longevity, but beyond physical health, they also promote a sense of control—an essential factor in reducing stress and anxiety. When residents can choose how they move through and engage with outdoor spaces, they’re more likely to feel confident, connected and at home in their community.
One way to foster autonomy is by designing a variety of pathways and gathering spaces that offer different experiences. Some residents may prefer wide, sunlit walkways for leisurely social strolls, while others may gravitate toward shaded, intimate paths for quiet reflection.
Open spaces with scenic vistas can be balanced with more enclosed areas featuring landscape elements that provide a sense of security.
Site planning should also ensure accessibility by avoiding high-contrast hardscapes or patterned shading that may cause uncertainty for those with depth perception concerns. A well-planned landscape balances clearly defined pathways with moments of discovery, using focal points such as gardens, water features, or interactive elements like public art, outdoor fitness equipment, and musical instruments to encourage engagement and exploration.
Outdoor spaces should also provide opportunities for both solitude and connection, accommodating individuals, small gatherings, and larger social events. A mix of fixed and moveable seating, including benches, seat walls, and flexible furniture, allows residents to choose how they interact within the space.
Likewise, designing outdoor areas to support a variety of activities ensures that spaces remain dynamic and engaging year-round. Features like adjustable shade structures, dynamic lighting, and well-placed resting areas enhance comfort, making outdoor environments more welcoming and accessible for all residents.
Social interaction is a critical component of well-being, and outdoor spaces should encourage connections across generations. Thoughtfully designed areas, such as interactive gardens, playgrounds, or multigenerational gathering areas, can support family visits, intergenerational play, and shared experiences that help strengthen bonds between residents and their loved ones.
For those in memory care settings, looping pathways and familiar elements like bird feeders, mailboxes, or sensory gardens can provide a sense of independence within a controlled environment.
Meanwhile, for independent living residents, outdoor spaces should extend beyond the community itself, offering walkable connections to nearby parks, businesses, and cultural attractions. Partnering with local entities such as public works and city planning departments to create safe and accessible pedestrian routes fosters a greater sense of belonging both within and beyond the senior living community.
#2: Stimulate the senses
Outdoor spaces in senior living communities provide critical mental and emotional benefits by engaging the senses, including sight and smell. Exposure to nature has been shown to alleviate directed attention fatigue, the mental exhaustion that comes from filtering out distractions to focus on specific tasks.
A well-designed outdoor environment can offer sensory-rich experiences that help the mind reset, reducing stress and promoting relaxation. Incorporating varied textures, colors, and natural scents enhances the restorative quality of outdoor spaces.
For example, the fragrance of seasonal plantings, the feel of different materials underfoot, and the shifting patterns of daylight throughout the day all contribute to a more immersive experience.
Additionally, the soothing sound of rustling leaves or a water feature can provide sensory engagement, making outdoor spaces more inviting and therapeutic.
Minimizing negative sensory stimuli is just as important as enhancing positive ones; this could include strategies such as mitigating glare with shade structures or tree canopies, while reducing noise pollution with sound barriers created by dense plantings or architectural features. Thoughtful site planning should also consider airflow to ensure that outdoor spaces remain comfortable throughout the year. By carefully balancing beauty, comfort, and functionality, communities can create environments that are not only visually appealing but also deeply restorative.
#3: Foster dignity through safety and wayfinding
A resident’s comfort when venturing outdoors is often tied to their actual or perceived sense of security. Thoughtful wayfinding and intentional design can reinforce confidence, making outdoor spaces feel both welcoming and navigable.
Clear orientation cues such as signage, unique site amenities, and clearly noted landmarks and destinations around a campus aid in navigation, but also create inviting, engaging outdoor environments. These elements help establish a sense of place, guiding movement while encouraging residents to explore and interact with nature in ways that feel intuitive and accessible.
This sense of security and connection to outdoor spaces begins the moment someone arrives. A welcoming and easily navigable entryway sets the stage for how residents, staff and visitors engage with the entire campus.
From the moment of arrival, visitors should be able to orient themselves and move toward their destination without confusion or distress. While signage with legible fonts and accessible placement is critical, effective wayfinding extends beyond signs.
Elements such as designated parking areas, protected pedestrian crosswalks, and clearly defined sidewalks leading to building entrances all contribute to a seamless and reassuring arrival experience.
Once inside, interior programming should naturally support adjacent outdoor spaces, encouraging activities to extend beyond the building. Just as focal points outdoors can inspire discovery, key architectural elements such as main entry porte-cocheres, canopies over other points of access or something as expanses of floor-to-ceiling windows, can provide orientation from the exterior in, helping residents identify different building entrances with distinct identities.
Strategically placing outdoor amenity spaces (e.g., fire pits with relaxed seating or café style tables) at key entry points also enhances wayfinding and highlights community life, making outdoor engagement a visible and inviting part of daily activity. Bringing activities like bocce and pickleball closer to higher traffic areas can help promote the liveliness of a community and further foster a culture of connection to other residents.
Rooftop spaces present another opportunity to improve outdoor accessibility, particularly for residents on upper floors. By transforming rooftops into functional outdoor environments, communities can offer safe, easily accessible green spaces encouraging interaction with nature.
Strategies such as appropriate fencing, activities set back from the parapet and well-placed shade structures can help ensure these areas provide necessary protection while maintaining openness and comfort.
Making a lasting impact
Incorporating intentional outdoor design into senior living communities is essential for fostering mental, emotional, and social well-being for residents and staff.
As the senior living industry continues to evolve, project teams have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to design outdoor environments that actively enrich the lives of those who use them.
The question is no longer whether nature should be a part of senior living design, but rather, how we can continue to push the boundaries to ensure that every outdoor space is a place of healing, joy, and connection.
Anne Machian, PLA, ASLA, is a partner and landscape architect at RDG Planning & Design (Omaha, Neb.) and can be reached at [email protected].
