People–Place Relationships in Regenerative Urban Assemblages: Streetscape Composition and Subjective Well-Being of Older Adults

Cities are undergoing rapid transformations due to global trends such as population aging, climate change, and increasing social diversity. In order to address these challenges, urban planning must adopt regenerative approaches that enhance subjective well-being by fostering meaningful relationships between people and their surroundings. Streetscapes, which serve as accessible urban landscapes, are important, especially for older adults, who depend on their local environment due to mobility constraints. This study examines the composition of streetscapes and the subjective well-being of older adults in a Japanese municipality. Using streetscape imagery and semantic segmentation, we quantified landscape elements—including vegetation, sky, roads, and buildings—within various walking distances from participants’ residences. Subjective well-being was measured using an 11-point Likert scale and analyzed by ordinal logistic regression. The results revealed that specific streetscape elements significantly impacted subjective well-being differently across spatial thresholds, showing that micro-scale urban landscapes are substantially important in promoting well-being among older adults. This study provides evidence-based insights for adaptive, inclusive, and regenerative urban planning strategies that promote the well-being of diverse demographic groups.