Ageing in Place in Urban Environments: Critical Perspectives (Aging and Society)

Ageing in Place in Urban Environments considers together two major trends influencing economic and social life: population ageing on the one side and urbanisation on the other. Both have been identified as dominant demographic trends of the twenty-first century. Cities are where the majority of people of all ages now live and where they will spend their old age. Nevertheless, cities are typically imagined and structured with a younger, working-age population in mind while older people are rarely incorporated into the mainstream of thinking and planning around urban environments. Cities can contribute to vulnerability arising from high levels of population turnover, environmental problems, gentrification, and reduced availability of affordable housing. However, they can also provide innovative forms of support and services essential to promoting the quality of life of older people. Policies in Europe have emphasised the role of the local environment in promoting “ageing in place”, a term used to describe the goal of helping people to remain in their own homes and communities for as long as they wish. However, while this has been the dominant approach, the places in which older people are ageing have often proved to be challenging environments. The book explores the forces behind these developments and how older people have responded. Drawing upon approaches from social gerontology, urban studies, geography, and sociology, this book will be essential reading for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners searching for innovative ways to improve the lives of older people living in urban environments. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license. Cover Endorsements Half Title Series Title Copyright Contents List of figures List of tables Acknowledgements Part 1 Critical perspectives on ageing in place in urban environments: background, theory, and development 1 Ageing in place in urban environments Introduction Background to the book What do we mean by “urban” ageing? A critical approach to understanding “ageing in place" Aims and key research questions Structure of the book 2 Population ageing and urbanisation: developing age-friendly cities Introduction The development of age-friendly cities and communities Achievements and activities of age-friendly programmes Developing age-friendly partnerships Challenges facing the implementation of the age-friendly approach Conclusion 3 Urbanisation, inequality, and community: experiences of ageing in place Introduction Changing views of community Neighbourhoods and social inclusion Neighbourhoods and social exclusion Spatial expulsion: ageing in place in informal settlements Neighbourhood inequalities and COVID-19 Community support and COVID-19 Engaging older adults in developing age-friendly communities Conclusion 4 Ageing in neighbourhoods undergoing urban change: experiences of gentrification in later life Introduction The process of gentrification: definitions and debates Exploring gentrification through an ageing lens Are older people “erased” from urban gentrification discourse? Gentrification and place attachment in later life Gentrification and social exclusion in later life Responses to gentrification: re-creating community in the face of change Conclusion 5 Experiences of ageing in place among ageing migrants living in urban neighbourhoods Introduction Ageing as a migrant: the urban experience Constructing home and community: developing local and transnational ties Challenges for urban migrants Moving in later life Conclusion 6 Growing older in “extreme cities”: the impact of climate change Introduction Cities, older people, and climate change Everyday life in toxic cities Trapped in place: the challenge of extreme weather events Climate change, urbanisation, and ageing: developing new strategies Conclusion Part 2 Re-building urban communities for ageing populations 7 The role of social infrastructure as centres of community life in supporting ageing in place in cities Introduction The meaning and value of “social infrastructure" The role of social infrastructure in supporting ageing in place Social infrastructure: the potential for social inclusion and exclusion Conclusion: the critical role of social infrastructure in developing age-friendly communities 8 Enacting “agency” through place-making and activism: older people as local agents of urban change Introduction Acts of neighbourhood-related agency Enacting agency through digital technology Ageism, power relations, and the struggle for equal rights Conclusion 9 Towards a collaborative urbanism: building collective organisations for later life Introduction Challenges to ageing in place Building collective organisations Collective organisations to support ageing in place How do we support ageing in place? Conclusion 10 Ageing populations and urban communities: an agenda for change Introduction Age-friendly cities and urban change Transforming cities for ageing populations Conclusion Bibliography Index