“There are not many options for the old in the UK,” says Maria Brenton, a founding member. “One-third of over 65s live on their own, which can cause loneliness and ill health – and two-thirds of those are older women. Older people I have researched don’t want to live in institutions like a care home. And often say they don’t want to end up like their parents – isolated and lonely.”
With the world’s population getting older and more urban, the needs of older residents will play an increasingly important part in the shaping of cities. According to UN figures, the number of over 60s is set to double by 2050, rising from 962m in 2017 to 2.1bn. Already in Akita, Japan, one in three people is over 65. All cities will need to adapt to meet this massive demographic change.
700 cities in 39 countries are signed up to the World Health Organization’s global network of age-friendly cities and communities to promote healthy active ageing and improve the quality of life for people over 60. Membership doesn’t necessarily denote an age-friendly city, but that it is committed to listening and working with its older population to create one.
Prof Chris Phillipson, of Manchester University’s Institute for Collaborative Research in Ageing and co-editor of Age-friendly Cities and communities: A Global Perspective, works with WHO to evaluate the programme’s progress, and says ageing populations need to be part of the debate about urban development: “New approaches are needed which link the advantages of living in cities with the needs and aspirations of older people themselves.”
One imperative is building new houses – or upgrading existing ones – to meet the needs of older residents, says Julia Park, a lead architect with Levitt Bernstein and co-author of Age-friendly Housing. “We have traditionally defaulted to retiring to the suburbs or the coast, but better public transport and more local facilities make cities a more logical choice. Apartment living makes a great deal of sense for older people too.” The vast majority of homes were not built with the needs of older people in mind. “Wherever you go in the world, there are small houses with lots of steps. Ageing hasn’t been factored in; older people had to accept it that they couldn’t go out and participate in civic life or visit friends and family. The new generation of over 55s are baby boomers who are much more vocal than their parents and grandparents were,” says Park. “We don’t expect to be ignored or told that ‘it’s bath-time’.”
Joe Oldman, Age UK’s policy manager for housing and transport, says paying attention to the built environment can make the difference between someone participating in life, and them being isolated at home. “Accessible public transport, level pavements, places to sit, the removal of trip hazards, good street lighting and public toilets are all vital components to encouraging older people to stay engaged with their local community.”
With older people less likely to drive, affordable, accessible public transport is crucial to an age-friendly city. In January a UK study over-50s found that free public transport resulted in fewer cases of depression, after researchers tracked changes in mental health before and after people became eligible for free travel.
Natalie Turner of the UK charity, the Centre for Ageing Better, believes cities need inclusive transport strategies. “Good transport links help everyone, whatever their age, to access vital services such as doctors and social and cultural amenities, so that they can be involved in city life, stay independent and keep up social connections.”
Professor Chris Phillipson says we are likely to see an increasingly unequal society in the future, with the elderly among those bearing the brunt. “There will be a significant number of people in their 50s still renting. One-third of over 50s don’t own property. They will have rented for a long time and won’t have equity or savings. Gentrification has also had an appalling effect on older people. “If the environment is hostile to people on low incomes, that impacts disproportionally on older residents.” One example is Berlin, where low-income flats are being sold to private developers, leading to rent increases that have made many areas unaffordable to older people.
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