Designing cities for all ages
Demographics have become an incredibly important issue for national and urban development. In cities, ageing populations face a range of connected issues, from access to transport, healthcare, key services as well as more complex problems like loneliness and lack of social connection.
As a growing segment of the city population, the needs of older people have implications for the way we think about everything from housing to mobility to urban heat effects driven by climate change. At Arup we have been considering this wide range of connected issues, to develop an integrated approach to improving the lives of older populations.
Designing for ageing communities
With lifespans continuing to extend, how can planners and designers find ways to make the lives of our growing, elder populations as rewarding and fulfilling as possible? This Cities Alive report identifies four key needs of older people and then proposes 14 strategies and 28 actions to meet these needs. Forty case studies serve to inspire and inform readers on how to include this work in their practice.
Heat and age
Extreme weather poses particular challenges to older populations and this is becoming a growing issue as cities densify and heat waves become more frequent. SHARP is a report from Arup, UCL, HelpAge International and other partners, that helps practitioners to understand how urban heat is affecting older people in cities and what measures can be taken. This work looks at experiences in London, Shanghai and New York, but its lessons are widely applicable.