Author Information
Izzy Yi Jian, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SARXiaosheng Zhu, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR
Abstract
The rapid aging of populations in high-density cities presents unique challenges for urban planning and social inclusion. While play activities are increasingly recognized as crucial for older adults’ wellbeing, limited research examines how they engage in play within constrained urban environments. This study investigates older adults’ play behaviors in urban parks of Hong Kong through an innovative AI-powered analysis approach. We conducted observational studies across five public parks in the Tai Kok Tsui neighborhood, employing an enhanced YOLO-Pose framework to analyze video recordings from September to December 2024. The framework achieved over 89% accuracy in recognizing and classifying various play activities. Our findings reveal that older adults predominantly engage in unstructured and observational play, with social interaction being a primary motivator. Contrary to conventional assumptions about active aging, structured physical activities constitute only a small portion of observed behaviors. Environmental factors, including seating arrangements and weather conditions, significantly influence play patterns. The study also identified notable differences in mobile device usage among older adults compared to other age groups, suggesting opportunities for targeted digital interventions. These insights contribute to both theoretical understanding of late-life play and practical urban design considerations. The methodology developed demonstrates the potential of AI-powered analysis in understanding complex social behaviors, while the findings inform age-inclusive design strategies for high-density urban environments.
Paper Information
Conference: AGen2025Stream: Loneliness
This paper is part of the AGen2025 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Jian I., & Zhu X. (2025) What and How Do They Play? Understanding Older Adults’ Play Behaviors in Urban Parks of High-Density Cities Through AI-Powered Analysis ISSN: 2432-4183 The Asian Conference on Aging & Gerontology 2025: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 63-76) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2432-4183.2025.6
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2432-4183.2025.6
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