Population ageing and Urbanisation: Developing Age-Friendly Cities

世界卫生组织（世卫组织）的“老年人友好型城市”模式强调为老年人提供支持性城市环境的主题。这些定义为通过“优化健康、参与和安全机会，以提高人们老年生活质量”来鼓励“积极老龄化”（世卫组织，全球老年友好城市，2007年）。建立老年人友好型城市的目标应该放在人口老龄化和城市化带来的压力的背景下看待。到2030年，全球三分之二的人口将居住在城市，高收入国家的城市地区至少有四分之一的人口年龄在60岁及以上。这种发展为老年人提出了重要的问题：城市将在多大程度上发展为老年人友好社区？所谓的全球城市会将老龄人口融合还是隔离？在不同类型的城市地区可能会发生什么样的变化？不同的老年人群体如何受到城市变化的影响？“对老年人友好”的城市观点在提高人们对人口老龄化影响的认识方面发挥了重要作用。与此相反，在现代城市受到与全球社会和经济变化有关的压力的影响的背景下，这种做法的价值还有待评估。IPNS有四个主要目标：第一，建立一个基于合作研究的网络，重点了解城市环境背景下的人口老龄化；第二，为一项跨国研究制定研究建议，探讨建设老年人友好型城市的不同方法；第三，对数据集和其他相关资源进行系统审查，以制定老年人友好型城市的研究提案；第四，为从事老龄化和城市问题研究的早期职业研究人员提供培训。该网络是促进老年人友好城市问题比较研究的首次尝试。它建立在2011年在基尔大学和曼彻斯特大学举行的两次会议的基础上，那次会议旨在为围绕“老年人友好”主题的跨国工作奠定基础。IPNS代表汇集了欧洲、香港和北美的世界级研究团体、关注城市设计和建筑的专业人士，以及在老龄化领域工作的主要非政府组织。在为期两年的供资期内确定了一系列活动：(1)为发展对老年人友好的城市环境的方法的跨国研究编写研究建议。(2)两次讲习班，具体说明人口变化和城市化引起的理论和方法问题。(3)暑期学校探索与老龄化和城市化主题潜在相关的数据资源之间的联系，并可能支持研究提案。(4)城镇化与老龄化领域重点研究人员网络成员大师班。(5)举办以使用者为主题的工作坊，鼓励长者参与建立长者友善社区的研究。(6)主题研讨会（面对面和通过视频链接），从跨学科的角度确定研究和政策差距IPNS将在资助期结束时以各种方式维持。该项目的主要产出将是一项合作研究提案以及一项维护网络的提案，并将在2014年之后继续与潜在资助机构合作。传播活动将通过专业网络、主要国际会议的专题讨论会和参与专家会议继续进行。该项目将继续通过主办方英国高等教育学院维护的网站进行宣传。该项目将继续为围绕“老年人友好城市”主题的政策制定作出贡献，特别是与在该领域工作的主要非政府组织合作。

The World Health Organization (WHO) model of 'age-friendly cities' emphasizes the theme of supportive urban environments for older citizens. These defined as encouraging 'active ageing' by 'optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age' (WHO, Global Age-friendly Cities, 2007). The goal of establishing age-friendly cities should be seen in the context of pressures arising from population ageing and urbanisation. By 2030, two-thirds of the world's population will reside in cities, with - for urban areas in high-income countries - at least one-quarter of their populations aged 60 and over. This development raises important issues for older people: To what extent will cities develop as age-friendly communities? Will so-called global cities integrate or segregate their ageing populations? What kind of variations might occur across different types of urban areas? How are different groups of older people affected by urban change? The 'age-friendly' city perspective has been influential in raising awareness about the impact of population ageing. Against this, the value of this approach has yet to be assessed in the context of modern cities influenced by pressures associated with global social and economic change. The IPNS has four main objectives: first, to build a collaborative research-based network focused on understanding population ageing in the context of urban environments; second to develop a research proposal for a cross-national study examining different approaches to building age-friendly cities; third to provide a systematic review of data sets and other resources of relevance to developing a research proposal on age-friendly cities; fourth, to develop training for early career resarchers working on ageing and urban issues.The network represents the first attempt to facilitate comparative research on the issue of age-friendly cities. It builds upon two meetings held at the Universities of Keele and Manchester in 2011 that sought to establish the basis for cross-national work around the 'age-friendly' theme. The IPNS represents brings together world class research groups in Europe, Hong Kong and North America, professionals concerned with urban design and architecture, and leading NGOs working in the field of ageing. A range of activities have been identified over the two-year funding period:(1) Preparation of research proposals for a cross-national study of approaches to developing age-friendly urban environments. (2) Two workshops to specify theoretical and methodological issues raised by demographic change and urbanisation. (3) A Summer School exploring links between data resources of potential relevance to the ageing and urbanisation theme and which might underpin research proposals. (4) Master classes for network members from key researchers in the field of urbanisation and ageing. (5) A workshop with a user-based theme developing older people's participation in research on building age-friendly communities. (6) Themed workshops (face-to-face and via video-link) to identify research and policy gaps drawing on inter-disciplinary perspectivesThe IPNS will be sustained in a variety of ways at the end of the funding period. A collaborative research proposal as well as one to maintain the network will be major outputs from the project and work with potential funding bodies will continue after 2014. Dissemination activities will continue through professional networks, symposia at major international conferences, and involvement in expert meetings. The project will continue to be advertised through the maintenance of a website maintained by the host UK HEI. The project will continue to make a contribution to policy development around the theme of age-friendly cities, notably with the main NGOs working in the field.