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Handbook of Sociology of Aging pp 279–293Cite as

Developing Age-Friendly Communities: New Approaches to Growing Old in Urban Environments

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Abstract

Developing what has been termed “age-friendly” communities has become a significant issue for social policy, embracing questions ranging across urban as well as rural environments. The reasons for such attention are not hard to discern and will be assessed in some detail in this chapter. In brief, however, they include: first, the complexity of demographic change, with the emergence of a wide spectrum of housing and community needs among those in the 50 plus age group. Second, the pressures affecting different types of localities, with the impact of accelerated urbanization for some and deindustrialization for others. Third, is acceptance of the importance of the physical and social environment as a factor influential in maintaining the quality of life of older people (Wahl and Oswald 2010). Fourth, is the policy debate about what constitutes “good” or “optimal” places to age, as reflected in the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) around “age-friendly” cities, these defined as encouraging: “…active ageing by optimizing opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance the quality of life as people age” (WHO 2007:1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Professor of Applied Social Studies and Social Gerontology, Centre for Social Gerontology, Keele University, Keele, UK

    Chris Phillipson

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  1. Chris Phillipson
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Correspondence to Chris Phillipson .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Human Development and Family Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, 97331-2302, Oregon, USA

    Richard A. Settersten

  2. Dept. Sociology, University of Texas, Austin, University Station 1, Austin, 78712, Texas, USA

    Jacqueline L. Angel

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Phillipson, C. (2011). Developing Age-Friendly Communities: New Approaches to Growing Old in Urban Environments. In: Settersten, R., Angel, J. (eds) Handbook of Sociology of Aging. Handbooks of Sociology and Social Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7374-0_18

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