Insights into Building Inclusive Cities: Reimagining Age-Friendly Urban Communities

I was fortunate to attend the Housing LIN’s excellent conference, A Festival of Ideas: Age-Friendly Homes and Connected Communities, last month in Leeds. The themes during the day aligned with the work of the Manchester Urban Ageing Research Group (MUARG) (opens new window) and insights captured in our latest book, Reimagining Age-Friendly Communities: Urban Ageing and Spatial Justice (opens new window). This explores how urban environments can be designed, developed, and adapted to better meet the needs and aspirations of an increasingly diverse ageing population.

Population ageing and urbanisation are the defining demographic trends of our time. We know that by 2050 the number of people aged 60 and over is projected to double, reaching 2.1 billion globally. Cities should be the best places in which to age, with services and amenities close by and easily accessible, but they are often designed with younger demographics in mind, leading to exclusion and inequalities for older people. Our work offers a fresh, interdisciplinary perspective on the opportunities and challenges of urban ageing, emphasising the urgent need to address inequalities with a focus on social justice, equity, and co-production.

What we found in Reimagining Age-Friendly Communities are several key themes essential for creating inclusive urban environments, from policy and practice to innovative community projects. For example, we explore the role of social justice in addressing inequalities that affect older people, and advocate for the involvement of older people themselves in the design and implementation of age-friendly initiatives. Through both theoretical discussions and case studies, we want to demonstrate that, despite structural obstacles, meaningful social change is achievable at a local level.

In conclusion, the importance of strong partnerships in developing age-friendly cities and communities cannot be overstated. MUARG and Housing LIN’s shared goals of improving housing outcomes for older people and ensuring our cities and communities become places where everyone can thrive are key topics discussed in our book. And, following last year’s Older People’s Housing Taskforce report, Our Future Homes: Housing that promotes wellbeing and community for an ageing population and a government committed to building new 1.5m homes, new towns and communities, we conclude with a call to action for policymakers, urban planners, and community leaders to prioritise the needs of older people in their efforts to create age-inclusive, sustainable and supportive urban environments.

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If you found this of interest, Reimagining Age-Friendly Communities: Urban Ageing and Spatial Justice is now available at Policy Press.

And, to access a range of other resources on age-friendly communities and lifetime neighbourhoods, curated by the Housing LIN, visit our dedicated Design Hub.