Editorial
Research on Optimization Strategies for the Construction and Utilization of Urban Sports Facilities for the Elderly Enabled by Digital Technology
@ARTICLE{10.4108/eetpht.11.14226, author={Ruyao Gong and Nan Ge and Yu Ding}, title={Research on Optimization Strategies for the Construction and Utilization of Urban Sports Facilities for the Elderly Enabled by Digital Technology}, journal={EAI Endorsed Transactions of Pervasive Health and Technology}, volume={11}, number={1}, publisher={EAI}, journal_a={PHAT}, year={2026}, month={10}, keywords={older adults, urban sports facilities, digital inclusion, smart operation and maintenance, universal design, feasibility}, doi={10.4108/eetpht.11.14226} }- Ruyao Gong
Nan Ge
Yu Ding
Year: 2026
Research on Optimization Strategies for the Construction and Utilization of Urban Sports Facilities for the Elderly Enabled by Digital Technology
PHAT
EAI
DOI: 10.4108/eetpht.11.14226
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Against the background that urban sports facilities for older adults are mostly planned as isolated construction projects, with access, operation‑maintenance and digital inclusion handled as fragmented separate tasks, this paper constructs a lightweight digital optimization framework connecting multiple functional links for age‑friendly sports facilities. OBJECTIVES: To develop a lightweight digital optimization framework that links needs assessment, asset information, condition monitoring, service scheduling, and inclusive user feedback for urban sports facilities for older adults. METHODS: Comparative analysis of age‑friendly initiatives in Beijing and Singapore, six‑week pilot site experiment, counterbalanced‑order within‑subject test were adopted. The technical tools included tablet dashboard, QR‑free large‑button interface, infrared entry counter and weekly maintenance log, without cloud model training or specialized medical sensing equipment. RESULTS: A lightweight digital optimization framework covering needs assessment, asset information, condition monitoring, service scheduling and inclusive user feedback was formed, which provides explicit data fields, operating thresholds, and human fallback procedures for age‑friendly facility planning and utilization. The pilot test with 36 participants aged 60‑79 showed that, compared with routine service, the digital‑support condition yielded higher site‑use rate (63.5% vs 41.0%), longer observed activity sessions (32.8 min vs 24.6 min), higher task‑completion scores (79.4 vs 62.8), higher facility usability index (78.2 vs 61.3), and the mean maintenance response time decreased from 3.6 days to 1.9 days. CONCLUSION: The proposed lightweight digital framework can effectively improve site utilization, user task‑completion performance, facility usability and maintenance efficiency of urban sports facilities for older adults, offering operable reference for age‑friendly facility planning and daily operation.
Copyright © 2026 Ruyao Gong et al., licensed to EAI. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, which permits copying, redistributing, remixing, transformation, and building upon the material in any medium so long as the original work is properly cited.