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Age-Friendly Cities: For Whom? By Whom? For What Purpose?

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Age-Friendly Cities and Communities in International Comparison

Part of the book series: International Perspectives on Aging ((Int. Perspect. Aging))

Abstract

This chapter addresses complexities and controversies regarding the conceptualization and creation of age-friendly cities. Many of these reflect unresolved issues concerning the very nature of age-friendly cities, including what they are, whom they are for, how they can be created, and indeed whether or not age-friendly cities are even desirable or possible. The chapter first examines overarching perspectives and underlying conceptualizations of age-friendly cities, then explores the characteristics that are indicative of age friendliness, follows with a critical examination of approaches to helping cities become more age-friendly, and closes with a number of issues that require further attention if we truly are to create livable communities for all ages.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services, School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, USA

    Andrew E. Scharlach

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  1. Andrew E. Scharlach
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Correspondence to Andrew E. Scharlach .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Université Catholique de Louvain, School of Public Health, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Thibauld Moulaert

  2. and Research Centre on Aging, School of Social Work and Research Centre on Aging, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada

    Suzanne Garon

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Scharlach, A.E. (2016). Age-Friendly Cities: For Whom? By Whom? For What Purpose?. In: Moulaert, T., Garon, S. (eds) Age-Friendly Cities and Communities in International Comparison. International Perspectives on Aging. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24031-2_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24031-2_17

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-24029-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-24031-2

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

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