Topography Barriers to accessing healthy food disproportionately impact the elderly

Older residents spend large portions of time moving up and down the hill with their groceries.The challenges the public realm brings to people accessing food in Ajuda are amplified for the older residents.

At a peak time, 50% of people spending time outside the market are over 65

What food-related activities did we observe the elderly engaging with in public spaces?

Food is a social connector. Social connection is an important part of healthy communities and lives, especially for elderly residents living in cities.* When observing what food activities people over 65 were participating in, we mostly observed necessary activities related to acquiring and transporting food home. This could represent a missed opportunity to provide spaces that leverage the power of food as a social convener for elderly residents,