Ageing Well in Urban Environments: Developing Age Friendly Cities and Communities

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Population ageing and increasing urbanisation are two dominant societal trends of the 21st Century. By 2030 two-thirds of the global population will be living in cities and at least a quarter of those urban populations will be aged over 60. Developing urban environments that support and promote healthy living for older people has become a key driver of urban policy and interventions at a local and national level, resulting in planning design concepts and guidelines to support an ageing population. However, current urban planning and development models have overlooked how environments can support a sense of place, articulated through supports for active living, social participation and making a positive contribution to the community. Ageing successfully at home and in the community requires people are able to access 'assets and resources' to support healthy ageing, e.g. transport, adequate housing, healthcare services, and leisure opportunities alongside social networks and opportunities for lifelong learning. Responding to these challenges, this research intends to answer the following research questions: How do older adults experience ageing and sense of place across different urban, social and cultural contexts? In what ways can urban environments support the rights of older people to age in place? What would age-friendly cities and communities look like if they are to support the sense of place needs of older adults living across different urban and cultural contexts? In answering these questions, this research builds upon an existing ESRC Urban Transformations grant (ES/N013220/1) being undertaken exploring how sense of place is experienced by older adults living in 18 neighbourhoods (of varying densities and income levels) across six case study cities in the UK (Edinburgh, Manchester and Glasgow) and Brazil (Pelotas, Porto Alegre, and Brasilia). The aim of the proposed research is to expand transnational understandings of ageing in urban environments to three case study cities in India (Delhi, Calcutta, Hyderabad). This will offer a unique insight into how older adults experience ageing and place across diverse and transformative urban environments in India, providing opportunities for knowledge exchange, allowing for comparative analysis within and across case study cities in India, UK and Brazil, and identifying clear routes to policy and practice.We will use a range of methods to achieve the project aims including sense of place surveys and semi-structured interviews alongside experiential methods including 'go along' walks, photo diaries and community mapping exercises to capture the place-based needs of older adults. A community-based participatory approach will be adopted to the research, bringing together all stakeholders in a process of collaborative dialogue and co-design to challenge the hierarchical power relationships that exist when planning 'for' and not 'with' older people. The results will be used to co-create place-making tools and resources which are essential for designing age friendly environments for older adults in India that work across different cultural, social and welfare contexts. Findings will be disseminated to community, policymaker, practitioner and academic audiences through ongoing and end of project knowledge translation activities. Opportunities are built into the project design to allow for researchers from India, UK and Brasil to come together to exchange findings, share methodological insights and shape the research process.