Ageing and person–environment fit in different urban neighbourhoods

Based on the “complementary-congruence model” of person–environment fit, this study focuses on housing in old age as an interaction between housing needs and housing conditions in urban settings. The research aims are (1) to establish a set of housing-related person–environment (p–e) fit indices based on the relationship between environmental needs and existing conditions in different physical and social domains, and to describe housing among elders aged 51–80 years and in different urban districts with these indices; the study distinguishes between basic, higher-order and social needs relating to housing; (2) to explain outdoor place attachment as an indicator for quality of life in different urban districts with a set of predictors including these person–environment fit indices. Data were drawn from telephone-based interviews with 365 older adults (51–80 years) who were questioned about individual housing needs and housing conditions. Results revealed higher p–e fit scores in the domains of higher-order and social housing needs and conditions in the districts which were considered to be more pleasant but had poor access to the city and to public transportation. By contrast, age was more important in explaining differences in the domain of basic housing needs and conditions with higher p–e fit scores among older participants. In explaining outdoor place attachment, the fit between basic and social housing needs and conditions was important, but the higher-order fit did not play a role.