18
May
2021
|
14:01
Europe/London

New MUARG project explores ageing in place in cities worldwide

Researchers part of the Manchester Urban Ageing Research Group (MUARG) have launched a five-year research project which will bring together interdisciplinary approaches from urban studies and gerontology in the study of older people living in cities.

Funded by the Leverhulme Trust, the research team (Dr Tine Buffel, Dr Patty Doran, and Dr Sophie Yarker) will examine the role of ‘age-friendly’ policies in shaping the experience of ageing in place in seven cities worldwide, including Manchester, Brussels, Akita, and Quebec.

Understanding the relationship between population ageing and urban change is now a major issue for public policy and research. The case for such work is especially strong given that cities are where the majority of people of all ages live and where they will spend their old age. Nevertheless, cities are largely imagined and structured with a younger, working-age demographic in mind. Older people are rarely incorporated into mainstream thinking and planning around urban environments.

The project Population Ageing and Urbanisation: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on ‘Ageing in Place’ in Cities aims to:

  • Advance understanding of ‘ageing in place’ in cities using interdisciplinary perspectives
  • Examine policies and age-friendly initiatives aimed at supporting ageing in place across seven cities
  • Explore experiences of ageing in place among diverse ageing populations (reflecting different ethnic, gender and class backgrounds) living in urban neighbourhoods
  • Develop methods and tools for measuring and reporting the impact of age-friendly interventions
  • Co-produce innovative models of dissemination with various stakeholder groups

The research builds upon MUARG’s expertise in developing innovative methods of co-production involving older people in all stages of the research process, and will play a key role in transforming research, policy and practice designed to improve urban environments for different groups of older people.

For more information visit the Manchester Urban Ageing Research Group website or get in touch with the project team.

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