Developing Age-Friendly Cities: Case Studies from Brussels and Manchester and Implications for Policy and Practice

Abstract

Developing age-friendly communities has become a significant dimension in debates in social policy (Buffel et al. 2012, 2014). A variety of factors have stimulated discussion around this topic, including: first, the impact of demographic change across the global north and south (Menec et al. 2011); second, awareness of the impact of urban change on older people, notably in areas experiencing social and economic deprivation (Buffel et al. 2013a); and, third, debates about good or optimal places to age, as reflected in debates around lifetime homes and lifetime neighborhoods (Scharlach and Lehning 2013).