Two - The development of age-friendly cities and communities

Summary

Introduction

Two dominant forces are shaping social and economic life in the 21st century – population ageing on the one side and urbanisation on the other. Population ageing is taking place across all countries of the world, albeit at varying levels of intensity. The proportion of those 60 years and over in the global north increased from 12% in 1950 to 23% in 2013, and is expected to reach 32% in 2050. In the global south, the share of older persons increased slowly between 1950 and 2013, from 6% to 9%, but is expected to accelerate in the coming decades, reaching 19% in 2050 (UN, 2014a). Of equal importance has been the spread of urbanisation, with over half of the world's population (54%) now living in urban areas, with this expected to increase to around two-thirds by 2050 (UN, 2014b). Understanding the relationship between population ageing and urban change has become a major issue for public policy. The case for such work is especially strong given that cities are where the majority of people (of all ages) now live and where they will spend their old age. A report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD, 2015, p 18) makes the point that:

Designing policies that address ageing issues requires a deep understanding of local circumstances, including communities’ economic assets, history and culture. The spatially heterogeneous nature of ageing trends makes it important to approach ageing from an urban perspective. Cities need to pay more attention to local circumstances to understand ageing, and its impact. They are especially well equipped to address the issue, given their long experience of working with local communities and profound understanding of local problems. (Emphasis added.)

This argument raises an important challenge for policies relating to ageing and their impact on communities across the world. One significant policy response has come from the World Health Organization (WHO), through its approach to developing what has been termed ‘age-friendly cities and communities’ (AFCCs). This chapter aims to provide an overview of the contributing factors that have led to the development of AFCCs. The chapter is structured in three parts.