Ageing Well in Urban Environments: Developing Age Friendly Cities and Communities
With a global population that is both urbanising and ageing, the question of how cities can accommodate the needs of its older residents is more pressing than ever. But while new approaches in urban planning and design are now being developed specifically to support their health and mobility, these strategies frequently overlook an importance element – the value of place.
Ageing Well in Urban Environments: Developing Age Friendly Cities and Communities builds on existing ESRC-funded research on age and place-making in cities in Brazil and the UK with a detailed study of ageing communities in India (Calcutta, Delhi and Hyderabad). Through a range of innovative participatory approaches with local stakeholders, the fieldwork will gather a broad range of inputs including surveys, photo diaries and community maps.
The findings will provide policy makers in a variety of different urban contexts with a comparative evidence base on the challenges and opportunities of ensuring ageing urban populations are able to participate fully in the life of their cities.
Ryan Woolrych (Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor in Health in the Built Environment)
Jenny Fisher (Head of Department)
Judith Sixsmith (Professor of Health Related Research)
Michael Murray (Teaching Fellow)
Rebecca Lawthom (Professor)
Harry Smith (Associate Professor)
• In-depth fieldwork in three Indian cities (Calcutta, Delhi and Hyderabad) using participatory approaches such as surveys, photo diaries, ‘go along’ walks and community mapping.
• Development of tools, publications and other outputs to support age-friendly urban interventions.
• Creation of a comprehensive evidence base on ageing and place-making in urban India, complementing existing research on cities in Brazil and the UK.